Neurotoxicity of anthracene and benz[a]anthracene involves oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage, cholinergic dysfunction and disruption of monoaminergic and purinergic enzymes

Microencapsulation of sunscreen reduces toxicity of its components to A. salina: Biochemical, behavioral and morphological studies

Sunscreens contain several substances that cause damage to species where they are disposed. New formulations have been created to prevent such marine environmental damages. One promising formulation is the microencapsulated sunscreen. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible safety to marine environment of one microencapsulated sunscreen formulation. The animal model Artemia salina (cists and nauplii) was tested with two sunscreen formulations (microencapsulated and non-microencapsulated) and toxicological, behavioral, morphological parameters as well as biochemical assays (lipoperoxidation and carbonylation tests) were analyzed. Results showed that microencapsulated sunscreen impeded some toxic effects caused by the release of the substances within the microcapsule in the highest concentration, reestablishing the mortality and hatching rates to control levels, while removing the sunscreen microcapsule by adding 1 % DMSO reduced the cyst hatching rate, increasing the nauplii mortality rate and decreased locomotor activity in higher concentrations. Finally, nauplii with 24 hours of life and exposed to sunscreen without the microcapsule showed an increase in mitochondrial activity (assessed at 48 hours after exposure) and presented malformations when exposed to the highest concentration non-microencapsulated concentration (assessed by SEM at 72 hours after exposure), when compared to the control group. These results together allow us to conclude that the microencapsulation process of a sunscreen helps protecting A. salina from the harmful effects of higher concentrations of said sunscreens. However, long-term studies must be carried out as it is not known how long a microencapsulated sunscreen can remain in the environment without causing harmful effects to the marine ecosystem and becoming an ecologically relevant pollutant.

PAHs as environmental pollutants and their neurotoxic effects

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are widely present in incompletely combusted air particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5), tobacco and other organic materials, can enter the human body through various routes and are a class of environmental pollutants with neurotoxic effects. PAHs exposure can lead to abnormal development of the nervous system and neurobehavioral abnormalities in animals, including adverse effects on the nervous system of children and adults, such as a reduced learning ability, intellectual decline, and neural tube defects. After PAHs enter cells of the nervous system, they eventually lead to nervous system damage through mechanisms such as oxidative stress, DNA methylation and demethylation, and mitochondrial autophagy, potentially leading to a series of nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, preventing and treating neurological diseases caused by PAHs exposure are particularly important. From the perspective of the in vitro and in vivo effects of PAHs exposure, as well as its effects on human neurodevelopment, this paper reviews the toxic mechanisms of action of PAHs and the corresponding prevention and treatment methods to provide a relevant theoretical basis for preventing the neurotoxicity caused by PAHs, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases related to the nervous system and protecting human health.

Armeniacae semen amarum: a review on its botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, toxicology and pharmacokinetics

Armeniacae semen amarum-seeds of Prunus armeniaca L. (Rosaceae) (ASA), also known as Kuxingren in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese herbal drug commonly used for lung disease and intestinal disorders. It has long been used to treat coughs and asthma, as well as to lubricate the colon and reduce constipation. ASA refers to the dried ripe seed of diverse species of Rosaceae and contains a variety of phytochemical components, including glycosides, organic acids, amino acids, flavonoids, terpenes, phytosterols, phenylpropanoids, and other components. Extensive data shows that ASA exhibits various pharmacological activities, such as anticancer activity, anti-oxidation, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammation, protection of cardiovascular, neural, respiratory and digestive systems, antidiabetic effects, and protection of the liver and kidney, and other activities. In clinical practice, ASA can be used as a single drug or in combination with other traditional Chinese medicines, forming ASA-containing formulas, to treat various afflictions. However, it is important to consider the potential adverse reactions and pharmacokinetic properties of ASA during its clinical use. Overall, with various bioactive components, diversified pharmacological actions and potent efficacies, ASA is a promising drug that merits in-depth study on its functional mechanisms to facilitate its clinical application.

NMR Spectroscopy Applied to the Metabolic Analysis of Natural Extracts of Cannabis sativa

Cannabis sativa is a herbaceous multiple-use species commonly employed to produce fiber, oil, and medicine. It is now becoming popular for the high nutritional properties of its seed oil and for the pharmacological activity of its cannabinoid fraction in inflorescences. The present study aims to apply nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to provide useful qualitative and quantitative information on the chemical composition of seed and flower Cannabis extracts obtained by ultra-sound-assisted extraction, and to evaluate NMR as an alternative to the official procedure for the quantification of cannabinoids. The estimation of the optimal ω-6/ω-3 ratio from the 1H NMR spectrum for the seed extracts of the Futura 75 variety and the quantitative results from the 1H and 13C NMR spectra for the inflorescence extracts of the Tiborszallasi and Kompolti varieties demonstrate that NMR technology represents a good alternative to classical chromatography, supplying sufficiently precise, sensitive, rapid, and informative data without any sample pre-treatment. In addition, different extraction procedures were tested and evaluated to compare the elaboration of spectral data with the principal component analysis (PCA) statistical method and the quantitative NMR results: the extracts obtained with higher polarity solvents (acetone or ethanol) were poor in psychotropic agents (THC < LOD) but had an appreciable percentage of both cannabinoids and triacylgliceroles (TAGs). These bioactive-rich extracts could be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, opening new pathways for the production of functional foods and supplements.