In vitro bioaccessibility of metals from tape tea - A low-cost emerging drug

Distribution Characteristics of Nutritional Elements and Combined Health Risk of Heavy Metals in Medicinal Tea from Genuine Producing Area of China

The development of the medicinal tea (MT) system has promoted the health awareness in the whole world, and the nutritional elements are also an important resource of health care delivery except for the medicinal components. Among various medicinal teas, Astragalus membranaceus (AM), Zingiberaceae rhizome (ZR), and Lonicera japonica (LJ) were the most popular ingredients in China. However, except for the nutrition value, MT was inevitably contaminated with heavy metals due to the special planting environment and processing system. This study was aimed to investigate the distribution characteristics of nutrition elements and combined health risk of heavy metals in MT sample, referring to the maximum residue limit (MRL), estimated daily intake (EDI), total target hazard quotients (TTHQs), and lifetime cancer risk (LCR). Furthermore, the bioaccessibility of gastrointestinal phase and bioavailability of human colon adeno carcinoma cell line were selected for elaborating the exact damage degree to human digestive system. The results showed that, the nutritional elements of Na, Se, K, Ca, and Mn were very rich in MT, but a total of 50% of MT were contaminated by Cr, Hg, and Cd in raw material. Although the cumulative lifetime cancer risk can be accepted under the bioaccessibility (26.62-99.27%), the heavy metals of Cr, As, Hg, and Fe in AM and LJ posed a slight threaten of non-carcinogenic risk to consumers. This study will give an exactly assessment of multiple elements in digestive system, thus further to predict the potential health risk under the consumption of MT products.

Evidence of high bioaccessibility of gadolinium-contrast agents in natural waters after human oral uptake

Considering the large occurrence of anthropogenic Gd concentrations in natural waters, its continuous usage increase in technology developments and products and the lack of data on potential Gd human exposure due to ingestion of contaminated waters, it is urgently needed to understand how gadolinium contrast agents (Gd-CAs) reacts in the human digestive system. Here, we aimed to identify through in vitro bioaccessibility tests whether Gd-CAs can be potentially assimilated by humans after oral uptake and if there is a significant difference between contrast agents. We also roughly estimated the potential bioaccessibility of anthropogenic Gd for tap waters worldwide. Gd-CAs are highly bioaccessible (77 to 112%). The macrocyclic complexes pose the highest potential risk, because there are more stable than linear complexes in the gastrointestinal tract and, as such, tend to remain in solution and thus might bring Gd at the intestinal barrier making it potentially bioavailable. The estimated range of potential intake of Gd varied from 13 to 4839 μg in a lifespan of 70 years. The high bioaccessibility of anthropogenic Gd in tap waters calls for appropriate actions to develop better practices to treat wastewater contaminated by Gd-CAs in order to safeguard population and ecosystem health.