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Simple Summary: The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren poses a significant threat to biodiversity, agriculture, and public health in its introduced ranges. Chemicals are the main methods for S. invicta control. To explore more active ingredients for fire ant control, the toxicity and horizontal transfer effects of sulfoxaflor, triflumezopyrim, and flupyradifurone baits against S. invicta were determined and their field effects were assessed. Sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, and triflumezopyrim did not have affect the feeding behavior of the fire ants. However, they significantly reduced the climbing, walking, and arrest abilities of the fire ant workers after 10 days of treatment, and their toxicities were horizontally transferred from workers to alates or larvae. Specifically, the field trials showed that sulfoxaflor and triflumezopyrim at 0.05% concentration were the most effective in exterminating fire ants. The mortality rates of the mounds on Day 28 were 81.21% and 84.44% in 1.5- and 2.0-times 0.05% sulfoxaflor-treated plots, and the mortality rates of the mounds on Day 28 were 83.51% and 82.50% in 1.5- and 2.0-times 0.05% triflumezopyrim-treated plots. The red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is native to South America; however, its introduction to other countries has caused serious biodiversity, agricultural, and public health problems. As toxic bait is an effective method to control fire ant populations, the aim of this study was to determine the most effective concentration of sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, and triflumezopyrim as ingredients for baits against S. invicta under laboratory and field conditions. Sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone, and triflumezopyrim had no effect on the feeding behavior of the fire ants. However, they significantly reduced the climbing, walking, and arrest abilities of the fire ant workers after 10 days of treatment, and insecticides were horizontally transferred from workers to alates or larvae. Specifically, sulfoxaflor and triflumezopyrim at 0.05% concentration were the most effective in exterminating fire ants. Sulfoxaflor and triflumezopyrim are nonrepellent and effective insecticides against S. invicta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese oxide loaded on activated alumina beads (MnOx/AABs) was prepared by one-pot hydrothermal method and applied to activate periodate (PI) towards the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and other organic dyes. The catalyst was first characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N2 sorption. Subsequently, the effects of catalyst dosage, oxidant dosage, initial pH as well as co-existing inorganic anion and humic acid on the performance of the MnOx/AABs/PI system were studied. Under optimum conditions (catalyst dosage = 15 beads, PI dosage = 0.2 g/L), the removal efficiency of 50 mg/L RhB reached 99.4%, with a total organic carbon removal efficiency of 51.0%. The removal efficiencies of several other organic dyes were in the range of 70%-95.1%. The leached amount of Mn was measured to be 0.027 mg/L. Mechanism studies revealed that 1O2, IO3⋅ and O2⋅− were identified to be responsible in this reaction system, and 1O2 played a decisive role. In addition, IO4− was converted to IO3− without other toxic products during the degradation process. Reusability test in both the batch and continuous modes showed that the catalyst could be efficiency regenerated by calcination. Combining the results of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and density functional theory calculations, the possible degradation pathway of RhB was proposed. Finally, toxicity evaluation of the degradation products of RhB was performed by theoretical calculations as well as experimental tests with Vigna radiata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodborne contaminants are closely related to anthropologic activities and represent an important food safety hazard. The study of metabolic transformation and toxic side effects of foodborne contaminants in the body is important for their safety assessment. Liver microsomes contain a variety of enzymes related to substance metabolism and biotransformation. An in vitro model simulating liver metabolic transformation is associated with a significant advantage in the study of the metabolic transformation mechanisms of contaminants. This review summarizes the recent progress in the application of liver microsomes in metabolic transformation and toxicity evaluation of various foodborne pollutants based on metabolic kinetics, molecular docking and enzyme inhibition studies. The purpose of this review is to distinguish the existing studies involving liver microsomes and provide strategies for their application in the future. Finally, the prospects and challenges of the liver microsomal model are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic, which can be divided into inorganic and organic arsenic, is a toxic metalloid that has been identified as a human carcinogen. A common source of arsenic exposure in seafood is arsenolipid, which is a complex structure of lipid-soluble organic arsenic compounds. At present, the known arsenolipid species mainly include arsenic-containing fatty acids (AsFAs), arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs), arsenic glycophospholipids (AsPLs), and cationic trimethyl fatty alcohols (TMAsFOHs). Furthermore, the toxicity between different species is unique. However, the mechanism underlying arsenolipid toxicity and anabolism remain unclear, as arsenolipids exhibit a complex structure, are present at low quantities, and are difficult to extract and detect. Therefore, the objective of this overview is to summarize the latest research progress on methods to evaluate the toxicity and analyze the main speciation of arsenolipids in seafood. In addition, novel insights are provided to further elucidate the speciation, toxicity, and anabolism of arsenolipids and assess the risks on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MASM, a structurally modified derivative of matrine, exhibits superior efficacy in reducing inflammation and liver injury in rats when compared to matrine. This study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile and acute toxicity of MASM. Pharmacokinetic results revealed that MASM exhibited rapid absorption, with a Tmax ranging from 0.21 ± 0.04 h to 1.31 ± 0.53 h, and was eliminated slowly, with a t1/2 of approximately 10 h regardless of the route of administration (intravenous, intraperitoneal, or intragastric). The absolute intragastric bioavailability of MASM in rats was determined to be 44.50%, which was significantly higher than that of matrine (18.5%). MASM was detected in all rat tissues including the brain, and through the utilization of stable isotope-labeled compounds and standard references, ten metabolites of MASM, namely sophocarpine, oxysophocarpine, and oxymatrine, were tentatively identified. The LD50 of MASM in mice was determined to be 94.25 mg/kg, surpassing that of matrine (83.21 mg/kg) based on acute toxicity results. Histopathological and biochemical analysis indicated no significant alterations in the primary organs of the low- to medium-dosage groups of MASM. These findings provide valuable insights into the efficacy and toxicity profile of MASM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagram of (a) the contraction and expansion mechanism and (b) mass transfer mechanism for ZMPC. [Display omitted] • Abundant large pores and open channels are created by confined expansion pore-making strategy. • Energetic Zn-MOF and ZIF-67 are utilized as pore forming additive and precursor of active sites. • Possible degradation pathways of TTCH were proposed by DFT and LC-MS calculations. • The confined expansion pore-making strategy enriches the theory of porous carbon preparation. Electrospinning MOFs nanoparticles derived porous carbon nanofibers with rational structure and design are recently as environmentally friendly and highly efficient catalytic materials for wastewater treatment. However, most of the pore-making strategies are based on precursors structural shrinkage during pyrolysis, which is a challenge to create abundant large pores and open channels. Here, a confined expansion pore-making strategy with active MOF is introduced, where energetic Zn-MOF (Zn2+/triazole) and ZIF-67 (Co2+/dimethylimidazole) are utilized as pore forming additive and precursor of active sites, respectively. The high nitrogen content gives triazole the ability to puff up and realizes N -doped during pyrolysis. Moreover, degradation mechanisms and pathways of pollutants were measured by 3D EEM, LC-MS, quenching experiments, and Fukui function. This pore-making strategy via energetic MOF local contraction and expansion provides a novel method to prepare diversiform function porous carbon materials for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of oxygen vacancies (OVs) into the heterogeneous catalysts is an efficient method to improve their catalytic activity for persulfate activation. The OVs-rich Zn x Cu 1-x Fe 2 O 4 nano-catalysts were synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method and analyzed using various characterization techniques (XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, BET surface area and XPS). OVs-rich Zn x Cu 1-x Fe 2 O 4 nano-catalysts exhibited a significantly higher catalytic activity for the removal of tetracycline (TC) by activating peroxydisulfate (PDS) than ZnFe 2 O 4 and CuFe 2 O 4 nano-catalyst. TC degradation efficiency in different Zn x Cu 1-x Fe 2 O 4 /PDS systems demonstrated that Zn 0.6 Cu 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 showed the best catalytic performance due to its highest OVs content, largest specific surface area and pore volume, and 90.09% of TC (20 mg/L) was degraded by Zn 0.6 Cu 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 with PDS after 60 min. Cu in-situ introduction can increase the amount of OVs in ZnFe 2 O 4 and affect the cross-occupancy of Zn and Fe, thus promoting the generation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in PDS-activated process; moreover, doped Cu can also act as an activation site for PDS and boost the formation of active Fe(Ⅱ). Mechanism study showed that all of ROS (1O 2 , O 2 •−, SO 4 •− and •OH) generated in Zn x Cu 1-x Fe 2 O 4 /PDS system simultaneously engaged in TC elimination, and 1O 2 played the main role. The probable TC degradation pathways in Zn 0.6 Cu 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 /PDS system were proposed. The practical application potential of magnetic Zn 0.6 Cu 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 nano-catalyst in the treatment of TC-contaminated wastewater was assessed by investigating the reusability of Zn 0.6 Cu 0.4 Fe 2 O 4 , the removal of TC in real water matrix and the toxicity of TC degradation intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Systematical SO 4 •− oxidation of solid-phase pharmaceuticals was first explored. • SO 4 •− effectively oxidized different pharmaceuticals in solid and liquid phases. • Mechanistic differences between solid and liquid pharmaceuticals were proposed. • The degradation products of pharmaceuticals remained some environmental risks. As a class of organic micropollutants of global concern, pharmaceuticals have prevalent distributions in the aqueous environment (e.g., groundwater and surface water) and solid matrices (e.g., soil, sediments, and dried sludge). Their contamination levels have been further aggravated by the annually increased production of expired drugs as emerging harmful wastes worldwide. Sulfate radicals (SO 4 •−)-based oxidation has attracted increasing attention for abating pharmaceuticals in the environment, whereas the transformation mechanisms of solid-phase pharmaceuticals remain unknown thus far. This investigation presented for the first time that SO 4 •−, individually produced by mechanical force-activated and heat-activated persulfate treatments, could effectively oxidize three model pharmaceuticals (i.e., methotrexate, sitagliptin, and salbutamol) in both solid and liquid phases. The high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis suggested their distinct transformation products formed by different phases of SO 4 •− oxidation. Accordingly, the SO 4 •−-mediated mechanistic differences between the solid-phase and liquid-phase pharmaceuticals were proposed. It is noteworthy that the products from both systems were predicted with the remaining persistence, bioaccumulation, and multi-endpoint toxicity. Therefore, some post-treatment strategies need to be considered during practical applications of SO 4 •−-based technologies in remediating different phases of micropollutants. This work has environmental implications for understanding the comparative transformation mechanisms of pharmaceuticals by SO 4 •− oxidation in remediating the contaminated solid and aqueous matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) has been actively pursued as a therapeutic target for osteoporosis, given that RANKL is the master mediator of bone resorption as it promotes osteoclast differentiation, activity and survival. We employed a structure-based virtual screening approach comprising two stages of experimental evaluation and identified 11 commercially available compounds that displayed dose-dependent inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. Their inhibitory effects were quantified through TRAP activity at the low micromolar range (IC50 < 5 μΜ), but more importantly, 3 compounds displayed very low toxicity (LC50 > 100 μΜ). We also assessed the potential of an N-(1-aryl-1H-indol-5-yl)aryl-sulfonamide scaffold that was based on the structure of a hit compound, through synthesis of 30 derivatives. Their evaluation revealed 4 additional hits that inhibited osteoclastogenesis at low micromolar concentrations; however, cellular toxicity concerns preclude their further development. Taken together with the structure–activity relationships provided by the hit compounds, our study revealed potent inhibitors of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis of high therapeutic index, which bear diverse scaffolds that can be employed in hit-to-lead optimization for the development of therapeutics against osteolytic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are water and soil contaminants causing the development of multi-resistant bacteria, calling for advanced water treatments. For instance, photocatalysis is a promising technology to remove antibiotics at low cost. The tungsten disulfide (WS2) catalyst should be efficient because it possesses a small band gap of 1.35 eV which allows a wide range of light absorption; however, in practice, WS2 shows poor efficiency for antibiotic degradations. Here, we hypothesized that this drawback is due to the insufficient generation of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, we designed a thermo-photocatalytic process with in situ-generated heat under illumination for tetracycline degradation over WS2. We studied catalytic activities, the catalytic mechanism, reactive species, the degradation pathway, and the toxicity of degradation products. Results show that the removal of tetracycline reached 87.4%, which is 2.4 times that of individual thermal catalysis and 3.5 times that of room-temperature photocatalysis. Remarkably, mineralization was enhanced by 7.6 times and 30.9 times, respectively. Moreover, the acute toxicity, developmental toxicity, and mutagenicity of the aqueous solution were reduced after the thermo-photocatalytic degradation. This is the first time that WS2 is demonstrated as an efficient catalyst for visible-light-driven degradation of antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glycol chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) have emerged as an effective drug delivery system for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Although they have great biocompatibility owing to biodegradable chemical structure and low immunogenicity, sufficient information on in vivo toxicity to understand the potential risks depending on the repeated high-dose have not been adequately studied. Herein, we report the results of in vivo toxicity evaluation for CNPs focused on the number and dose of administration in healthy mice to provide a toxicological guideline for a better clinical application of CNPs. Results: The CNPs were prepared by conjugating hydrophilic glycol chitosan with hydrophobic 5β-cholanic acid and the amphiphilic glycol chitosan-5β-cholanic acid formed self-assembled nanoparticles with its concentration-dependent homogeneous size distributions (265.36–288.3 nm) in aqueous condition. In cell cultured system, they showed significantly high cellular uptake in breast cancer cells (4T1) and cardiomyocytes (H9C2) than in fibroblasts (L929) and macrophages (Raw264.7) in a dose- and time-dependent manners, resulting in severe necrotic cell death in H9C2 at a clinically relevant highly concentrated condition. In particular, when the high-dose (90 mg/kg) of CNPs were intravenously injected into the healthy mice, considerable amount was non-specifically accumulated in major organs (liver, lung, spleen, kidney and heart) after 6 h of injection and sustainably retained for 72 h. Finally, repeated high-dose of CNPs (90 mg/kg, three times) induced severe cardiotoxicity accompanying inflammatory responses, tissue damages, fibrotic changes and organ dysfunction. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that repeated high-dose CNPs induce severe cardiotoxicity in vivo. Through the series of toxicological assessments in the healthy mice, this study provides a toxicological guideline that may expedite the application of CNPs in the clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of typical antibiotics (norfloxacin (NOR), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH)) by Ag/CNQDs/g-C3N4 under visible light irradiation was studied. Various strategies were applied to characterize the morphology, structure and photochemical properties of the Ag/CNQDs/g-C3N4 composites. The superior photocatalytic activity of Ag/CNQDs/g-C3N4 was attributed to the wide light response range and the enhancement of interfacial charge transfer. At the same time, the effect of the influence factors (pH, Humic acid (HA) and coexisting ions) on the antibiotics degradation were also investigated. Furthermore, the electron spin resonance (ESR) technology, free radical quenching experiments, LC/MS and DFT theoretical calculations were applied to predict and identify the active groups and intermediates during the photocatalytic degradation process. In addition, Ag/CNQDs/g-C3N4 exhibited the obvious antibacterial effect to Escherichia coli due to the addition of Ag NPs. This study develops a new way for the removal of emerging antibiotic pollution from wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a representative pollutant with carcinogenesis, mutagenicity and teratogenicity, nitrobenzene (NB) has devastating harm to human health. Herein, a unique three-dimensional (3D) stack Z-scheme photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) system was built by self-assembled different photoelectrodes for efficient NB removal. The effect of initial NB, bias potential, pH and electrolyte concentration on NB removal efficiency were investigated. The intermediates and oxygen-active radicals were determined and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), density functional theory (DFT) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to propose the NB degradation pathways and mechanism. The results showed that holes were utilized to produce ·OH to oxidize NB on the photoanode surface, the electrons excited from photocathode could reduce NB under UV irradiation; thereafter, the reduction product (aniline) was oxidized to phenol to achieve mineralization by the synergistic effect of anode (oxidation) and cathode (reduction). 3D stack Z-scheme PEC system exhibited a high NB degradation efficiency of 98.18% after 90 min reaction and a mineralization efficiency of 75.08% at 150 min. With ECOSAR software, the system toxicity was speculated. This study has advantages in NB removal and provides direction for other refractory organics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study investigated the degradation effect of curcumin‐mediated photodynamic technology (PDT) on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in oysters, and evaluated the safety of PDT‐treated oysters through acute and subacute toxicity experiments. The results demonstrated that curcumin‐mediated PDT could effectively degrade multi‐component PAHs in oysters, the maximum removal efficiency could reach 80.20% (10 μmol L−1 curcumin concentration and 54 J cm−2 light energy density). Acute toxicity experiment revealed PDT‐treated oysters did not cause any mortality and adverse symptoms in mice at an oral dose of 40 g kg−1 BW. Besides, after being treated at the dose of 10 g kg−1 BW for 28 days, the rats showed no obvious abnormal change in the indicators including the body weight, food utilisation, urology, haematology, serum biochemistry, organ index and histopathology. These findings show curcumin‐mediated PDT is a potentially efficacious method to degrade PAHs in oysters, and PDT‐treated oysters have high edible safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory distress syndrome and pneumothorax are the foremost causes of death as a result of the changing lifestyle and increasing air pollution. Numerous approaches have been studied for the pulmonary delivery of drugs, proteins as well as peptides using meso /nanoparticles, nanocrystals, and liposomes. These nano/microcarrier systems (NMCs) loaded with drug provide better systemic as well as local action. Furthermore, natural polysaccharide-based polymers such as chitosan (CS), alginate (AG), hyaluronic acid, dextran, and cellulose are highly used for the preparation of nanoparticles and delivery of the drug into the pulmonary tract due to their advantageous properties such as low toxicity, high hydrophobicity, supplementary mucociliary clearance, mucoadhesivity, and biological efficacy. These properties ease the delivery of drugs onto the targeted site. Herein, recent advances in the natural polymer-derived NMCs have been reviewed for their transport and mechanism of action into the bronchiolar region as well as the respiratory region. Various physicochemical properties such as surface charge, size of nanocarrier system, surface modifications, and toxicological effects of these nanocarriers in vitro and in vivo are elucidated as well. Furthermore, challenges faced for the preparation of a model NMCs for pulmonary drug delivery are also discoursed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing clean technologies to sustain the environment by fulfilling Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is one of the biggest challenges these days. This study was carried out to develop an economic, eco-safe, noncytotoxic biosorbent for wastewater treatment. The activated charcoal of local agri-waste was functionalized with biocompatible ionic liquids prepared from natural precursors; choline and saturated fatty acids. Resultant materials were characterized via FTIR, SEM and XRD analyses and used for sorption of orange G (OG) and methyl yellow (MY) dyes from aqueous solutions. Batch sorption studies were carried out to optimize different operational parameters as well as for isothermal, kinetic and thermodynamic studies. The results showed percentage removal as high as 97% after 1.5 h at ambient conditions such as room temperature using only 20 mg of ionic liquid functionalized biosorbent. Biosorbent and ionic liquids were highly recyclable. Cell viability tests validated the biocompatibility of the biosorbents as the obtained purified water was noncytotoxic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride over EDTA-2Na mediated supermolecule-based g-C 3 N 4. [Display omitted] • Application of supramolecular self-assembly strategy. • Hollow lamellar structure promoted light harvesting. • Na/O dopants enhanced separation/transfer ability of photoelectron. • TC degradation pathway and photocatalysis mechanism. • Potential risk of byproducts form TC degradation evaluated. Photocatalysis technology is a promising green route to eliminate antibiotic residues, but current performance still cannot satisfy the practicality. Herein, an EDTA-2Na mediated supramolecular self-assembly strategy was employed to modulate the morphology and microstructure of graphitic carbon nitride (GCN). The obtained EDTA-2Na mediated supermolecule-based GCN (ESGCN) was proved to possess ultrathin flake-like morphology with developed porous structure and Na/O dopants to enhance visible light harvesting. Compared to the pristine GCN and the supermolecule-based GCN (SGCN) without the EDTA-2Na mediation, the ESGCN has more photogenerated charges, decreased charge recombination and accelerated transport/transfer rate, which thus greatly improved photocatalytic activity for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and the apparent rate constant is 37.3 and 6.0 times higher than those of the GCN and the SGCN. Additionally, it exhibits excellent universality in degrading various tetracycline antibiotics with a wide pH range and good stability/durability. A possible mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of TC by the ESGCN was elaborated. And the toxicity assessments and mung bean germination experiments also indicate the photocatalytic process can effectively decrease the toxicity and the potential risk of TC to the environment. This work provides a feasible and effective approach to enhance photocatalytic activity of graphitic carbon nitride, which has prominent potentials for elimination of antibiotic residues in environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalysis has been proven to be an excellent technology for treating antibiotic wastewater, but the impact of each active species involved in the process on antibiotic degradation is still unclear. Therefore, the S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst Ti 3 C 2 /g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 was successfully synthesized using melamine and Ti 3 C 2 as precursors by a one-step calcination method using mechanical stirring and ultrasound assistance. Its formation mechanism was studied in detail through multiple characterizations and work function calculations. The heterojunction photocatalyst not only enabled it to retain active species with strong oxidation and reduction abilities, but also significantly promoted the separation and transfer of photo-generated carriers, exhibiting an excellent degradation efficiency of 94.19 % for tetracycline (TC) within 120 min. Importantly, the priority attack sites, degradation pathways, degradation intermediates and their ecological toxicity of TC under the action of each single active species (·O 2 −, h+, ·OH) were first positively explored and evaluated through design experiments, Fukui function theory calculations, HPLC-MS, Escherichia coli toxicity experiments, and ECOSAR program. The results indicated that the preferred attack sites of ·O 2 − on TC were O20, C7, C11, O21, and N25 atoms with high f+ value. The toxicity of intermediates produced by ·O 2 − was also lower than those produced by h+ and ·OH. • S-scheme heterojunction Ti 3 C 2 /g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 (TCNTO 580) was synthesized using melamine and Ti 3 C 2 as precursors. • The formation mechanism of TCNTO 580 was studied through multiple characterizations and theoretical calculations. • Priority attack sites and degradation pathways of TC by single active species were explored through HPLC-MS and Fukui index. • Toxicity changes of intermediates by single active species were evaluated using micro toxicity experiment and ECOSAR. • The preferred attack sites of ·O 2 − on TC were O20, C7, C11, O21, and N25, and the toxicity of intermediates was the lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Engineered near-infrared carbon dots enhance mitochondrial imaging signal-to-noise ratio by 2–3 folds. • Charge-driven dense blinking of carbon dots enables rapid super-resolution mitochondrial imaging with minimal frames. • Novel graph structure with GNN analysis achieves 98% accuracy in cellular typing and drug toxicity prediction using mitochondrial morphology. • Pioneering interpretability in GNN models elucidates mitochondrial features' impact on predictive outcomes in cellular functions. Mitochondrial morphology is crucial for cell identification and drug toxicity evaluation, yet it is challenged by mitochondrial complexities and limitations in imaging technologies. We develop an ultrasmall (∼1.5 nm) fluorescent carbon dot (CD), specifically designed to target mitochondria in live cells. These CDs exhibit near-infrared fluorescence at 685 nm, enhancing fluorescence imaging's signal-to-noise ratio by 2–3 times. Their dense-blinking behavior enables rapid fluctuation-based super-resolution imaging with as few as 10 frames, thereby allowing for detailed visualization of mitochondrial morphology and dynamics. We further propose a graph-based deep learning framework that integrates multidimensional mitochondrial features, which are updated using a Graph Neural Network (GNN), to achieve precise mitochondria-based cellular typing and drug toxicity analysis with up to 98% accuracy. Additionally, we pioneer the use of interpretability algorithms to elucidate the GNN model, revealing how the depicted mitochondrial features by the CDs drive these predictions. This approach has significant implications in cellular and toxicological research, offering a unique tool for deciphering cellular behaviors and drug interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural prescriptions are yet serving for the treatment of a significant number of the wellbeing needs of huge populace of the world. Nevertheless, the quality control and quality confirmation stay a test in light of the fact that polyherbal plan has high fluctuation of synthetic parts included. No single part is answerable for the adequacy of the home grown detailing either in single structure or in blend with other natural medications. This makes a test in laying out inside quality control norms and normalization of completed natural medications. Systematically, the interest of Ayurvedic details are expanded however, because of absence of value control boundaries there might be issues in acknowledgment as like allopathic medications. Additionally occasionally, there are opportunities for connection between the recommended medications and spices. In this way, normalization of homegrown drugs is exceptionally fundamental to guarantee dependability particularly concerning quality, immaculateness, adequacy and wellbeing of the detailing. Numerous arrangements are been referred in Ayurvedic books for the treatment of urolithiasis. Eladi kwath is one such known plan, which is exceptionally compelling. In this review, Eladi kwath is exposed to organoleptic examination, pharmacognostical examination, phytochemical investigation, and subjective examination, natural investigation to recognize the presence of different parts its quality as per WHO Rules. The examination uncovered the presence of essential and auxiliary metabolites. Aim - To study the benefits of herbal preparation Eladi quatha for kidney disease Urothalisis. Method - This study was undertaken to explore the effects of Eladi quatha in animals to treat kidney stone diseases. However, no safety profile for this formulation has been reported to date; thus, in this study, freshly prepared Eladi quatha was evaluated for acute toxicity. Acute toxicity test was evaluated as per OECD 425 guidelines with 5000 mg/kg as a limit test in Wistar strain Albino rats. Test formulations were administered to overnight fasted animals and parameters like body weight, behavioral changes, and mortality were assessed for 14 days. Hematological and biochemical parameters were assessed on the 14th day after administration. Result - No significant changes were noted in terms of behavioral changes, mortality, and body weight. The samples did not affect any of the hematological parameters. However, an increase in blood urea level was observed. Conclusion- This study concludes that freshly prepared Eladi quatha is relatively safe up to the dose of 5000 mg/kg. However, further chronic toxicity evaluation is necessary to establish its safety profile on chronic administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】Screen the strains having antagonistic activity against carrot root rot pathogen and assess the indoor toxicity of 19 fungicides to carrot root rot. 【Methods】The inhibition effect of the antagonistic strain on the pathogen of carrot root rot was determined by in vitro and in vivo antagonism method. The mycelium growth rate method was used to assess the indoor toxicity inhibitory effects of 19 fungicides on the pathogen. 【Results】Bacillus atrophaeus DM3-18 had in vivo inhibitory rate of 72.17% on the carrot root rot pathogen. Out of the 19 fungicides, carbendazim had the best inhibitory activity against carrot root rot pathogen, with an EC50 value of 0.002 8 mg/L;prochloraz, tebuconazole, thiophanate methyl, tridemorph, difenoconazole ·propiconazole, trifloxystrobin ·tebuconazole, and difenoconazole ·azoxystrobin also had good inhibitory effects, with EC50 value less than 20 mg/L;with an EC50 value of 8 407.936 8 mg/L, metalaxyl-hymexazol had the worst inhibitory effect.【Conclusion】Bacillus atrophicus is an antagonistic strain for biological control of carrot root rot that has the potential for further development and application. Carbendazim has inhibitory impact on the carrot root rot pathogen and can be used to control the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyfluthrin and lambda-cyhalothrin are two typical insecticides that are widely used. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were used as a model and were continuously exposed to the two pesticides for 96 h. During the period, the autonomous tail flicks at 24 h post fertilization, the heart rate and hatching rate of larvae at 48 h post fertilization, and the deformity rate and mortality rate of larvae at 96 h post fertilization were measured, and such indicators were considered to evaluate the embryonic developmental toxicity of two pyrethroid insecticides. To explore the application prospect of the benchmark dose (BMD) method in evaluating the environmental risk of pesticides, the BMD method was used to calculate their sensitivity indicators. The most sensitive indicator of cyfluthrin was 48 h post-fertilization juvenile heart rate, the most sensitive indicator of lambda-cyhalothrin was 48 h postfertilization hatching rate and the toxicity threshold of cyfluthrin was lower. In addition, most BMDL10 of different developmental parameters of cyfluthrin and beta-cyhalothrin were lower than the LOAEL values. The results suggest that the BMD method can compare the differences in the toxicity of similar pesticides and fully and accurately mine the experimental data, which can provide new ideas and strategies for the environmental risk assessment of pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased use of plastics has led to severe environmental pollution, particularly by microplastics—plastic particles 5 mm or less in diameter. These particles are formed by environmental factors such as weathering and ultraviolet irradiation, thereby making environmental pollution worse. This environmental pollution intensifies human exposure to microplastics via food chains. Despite potential negative effects, few toxicity assessments on microplastics are available. In this study, two sizes of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microplastics, approximately 5 μm and 10–50 μm, were manufactured and used for single and four-week repeated toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies. Toxicological effects were comprehensively evaluated with clinical signs, body weight, food and water consumption, necropsy findings, and histopathological and clinical-pathological examinations. Blood collected at 15, 30 60, and 120 min after a single administration of microplastics were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. In the toxicity evaluation of single and four-week repeated oral administration of PTFE microplastics, no toxic changes were observed. Therefore, the lethal dose 50 (LD50) and no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of PTFE microplastics in ICR mice were established as 2000 mg/kg or more. PTFE microplastics were not detected in blood, so pharmacokinetic parameters could not be calculated. This study provides new insight into the long-term toxicity and pharmacokinetics of PTFE microplastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 2D/3D Z-scheme heterojunction Bi12O17Cl2/UiO-66-NH2 was obtained by in situ growth. • As-prepared catalyst shows an excellent mineralization capability to ciprofloxacin. • High degradations of Microcystis algae and algal toxin Microcystin-LR were achieved. • Excellent degradation to antibiotics in three actual water bodies are achieved. • DFT and QSAR reveal that the toxicities of CIP and intermediates are greatly reduced. With the continuous emergence of antibiotics in natural water bodies, the crisis of water environment is becoming increasingly serious. To efficiently remove antibiotics, a novel 2D/3D Z-scheme heterojunction of Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 /UiO-66-NH 2 was constructed by in situ growth technology. The formation of Z-scheme heterojunction between Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 and UiO-66-NH 2 not only significantly improves the transfer rate and separation efficiency of charge carriers, but also greatly prolongs the lifetime of electrons and improves their light absorption ability. Free radical capture experiments and ESR spectra display that ⋅O 2 − and ⋅OH radicals dominate the degradation process of ciprofloxacin. The synthesized Z-scheme heterojunction shows a high degradation rate of 83.5 % for antibiotic ciprofloxacin within 60 min, much higher than those of Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 , UiO-66-NH 2 monomers and many other reported photocatalysts. The heterojunction Bi 12 O 17 Cl 2 /UiO-66-NH 2 also exhibits excellent degrading performance towards antibiotics in three actual water bodies (tap water, lake water and the effluent of domestic sewage treatment plant). Meanwhile, the as-prepared photocatalyst can effectively degrade Microcystis aeruginosa and algal toxin Microcystin-LR in surface water bodies contaminated by algae and antibiotics. The QSAR analysis indicates that the toxicities of both ciprofloxacin and its intermediates are greatly reduced. The degradation pathways of ciprofloxacin were analyzed via Density Functional Theory calculations and QSAR analysis. This study provides an excellent synthesis method of Z-scheme heterojunction for the purification of surface water bodies contaminated by algae and antibiotics via photocatalytic technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread use of parabens as preservatives, their increasing environmental concentration and potential adverse heathy effects have drawn considerable concern. Photodegradation represents a sustainable approach for paraben removal; however, developing photocatalysts that exhibit both efficient visible-light absorption and effective separation of photocarriers remains a challenge. Herein, a MOF@COF core-shell structure was fabricated to utilize the heterojunction for charge-hole spatial separation, generating sufficient reactive species for the photodegradation process. Under visible light, TPTi-0.225 (i.e., 0.225 g NH 2 -MIL-125 was added during COF synthesis) catalyzed highly efficient removal (∼99 %) of propylparaben within two hours. The degradation performance of TPTi-0.225 over a wide pH range and various real water matrices was also satisfactory. Theoretic calculation along with key reaction intermediate identification revealed parabens were degraded into low-toxicity products. This study not only offers insight into the design of novel visible photocatalysts but also presents a viable approach for detoxifying parabens in environmental waters. [Display omitted] • Core-shell structure endows TPTi-0.225 enough reactive species to photodegrade three parabens. • TPTi-0.225 shows robust removal over a wide pH range and diverse real water matrices. • Theoretical calculations and the identification of key reaction intermediates were conducted. • The photocatalysis reaction towards the detoxification manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The degradation efficiencies of TCH by NZVI@MOF-545/PDS is 94.1% in 15 min. • The TCH degradation conditions are optimized by the RSM model. • The dominant reactive species toward TCH degradation is 1O 2 , SO 4 -•, HO•, and O 2 -•. • The TCH degradation mechanisms can be identified as three pathways. • The NZVI@MOF-545/PDS system can significantly reduce the toxicity of TCH. Four different porphyrinic zirconium-based metal–organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) were comparatively studied to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) degradation. Results indicated NZVI@MOF-545 was the optimal catalyst and the NZVI@MOF-545/PDS system exhibited a high TCH (initial concentration of 100 mg L-1) removal efficiency of 95.9 %. The catalytic reaction conditions of NZVI@MOF-545/PDS were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) and results showed that the TCH (initial concentration of 800 mg L-1) degradation rate of 90.34 ± 0.66 % was obtained under optimal conditions of 1.03 g L-1 PDS, 0.84 g L-1 NZVI@MOF-545 with the initial pH of 9.80, temperature of 45 °C, and rotation speed of 265 rpm. The high degradation rate was attributed to the reactive species generated by the carbon-containing functional groups and metal sites of NZVI@MOF-545, and the relative contribution was 1O 2 > SO 4 -•>HO•>O 2 –•. Moreover, the LC-MS results suggested that TCH could be degraded into 15 intermediates through three potential degradation pathways. Toxicity evaluation demonstrated an alleviation in median lethal concentration at 96 h (LC 50 -96 h), low bioaccumulation, significant reductions in developmental toxicity and mutagenicity for most intermediates. In brief, NZVI@MOF-545 possessed remarkable catalytic ability and acceptable reusability to active PDS for TCH degradation, and the toxicity of TCH could be significantly reduced after the degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The molecular interaction mechanism of AtPrxQ with SDBS was investigated for the first time. • The conformational alterations and activity changes of AtPrxQ induced by SDBS was determined. • This study helps to evaluate the toxicity of SDBS and forecast the related affects on plants. As the most universally used anionic surfactant, ubiquitous existence and accumulation of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) in the environment has inevitably imposed the associated harmful impacts to plants due to producing excessive reactive oxygen species. However, the underlying hazardous mechanism of the SDBS-induced oxidative stress to plants at molecular level has never been reported. Here, the molecular interaction of AtPrxQ with SDBS was explored for the first time. The intrinsic fluorescence of AtPrxQ was quenched based on static quenching, and a single binding site of AtPrxQ towards SDBS and the potential interaction forces driven by hydrophobic interactions were predicted from thermodynamic parameters and molecular docking results. Besides, the interaction pattern of AtPrxQ and SDBS was also confirmed by the bio-layer interferometry with moderate binding affinity. Moreover, the structural changes of AtPrxQ along with the destructions of the protein framework and the hydrophobic enhancement around aromatic amino acids were observed upon binding with SDBS. At last, the toxic effects produced by SDBS on peroxidase activities and Arabidopsis seedlings growth were also characterized. Thus this work may provide insights on the molecular interactions of AtPrxQ with SDBS and assessments on the biological hazards of SDBS to plants even for the agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since ancient times, honey has been used for medical purposes and the treatment of various disorders. As a high-quality food product, the honey industry is prone to fraud and adulteration. Moreover, limited experimental studies have investigated the impact of adulterated honey consumption using zebrafish as the animal model. The aims of this study were: (1) to calculate the lethal concentration (LC 50) of acid-adulterated Apis mellifera honey on embryos, (2) to investigate the effect of pure and acid-adulterated A. mellifera honey on hatching rate (%) and heart rate of zebrafish (embryos and larvae), (3) to elucidate toxicology of selected adulterated honey based on lethal dose (LD 50) using adult zebrafish and (4) to screen the metabolites profile of adulterated honey from blood serum of adult zebrafish. The result indicated the LC 50 of 31.10 ± 1.63 (mg/ml) for pure A. mellifera honey, while acetic acid demonstrates the lowest LC 50 (4.98 ± 0.06 mg/ml) among acid adulterants with the highest mortality rate at 96 hpf. The treatment of zebrafish embryos with adulterated A. mellifera honey significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the hatching rate (%) and decreased the heartbeat rate. Acute, prolong-acute, and sub-acute toxicology tests on adult zebrafish were conducted at a concentration of 7% w/w of acid adulterants. Furthermore, the blood serum metabolite profile of adulterated-honey-treated zebrafish was screened by LC-MS/MS analysis and three endogenous metabolites have been revealed: (1) Xanthotoxol or 8-Hydroxypsoralen, (2) 16-Oxoandrostenediol, and (3) 3,5-Dicaffeoyl-4-succinoylquinic acid. These results prove that employed honey adulterants cause mortality that contributes to higher toxicity. Moreover, this study introduces the zebrafish toxicity test as a new promising standard technique for the potential toxicity assessment of acid-adulterated honey in this study and hazardous food adulterants for future studies. [Display omitted] • Embryotoxicity of pure and acid-adulterated Apis mellifera honey. • Lethal concentration and dose, hatching and heartbeat rate of pure and acid-adulterated Apis mellifera honey was evaluated. • Toxic endogenous metabolites were identified using LCMS/MS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the toxicity of micropollutants forms the basis for understanding their potential risks to the ecosystem and/or human health. To accurately evaluate the toxicity of micropollutants in toxicity tests, many factors have been carefully considered, while the impact of the number of test organisms on toxicity results has rarely been taken into account. In this study, the role of the organism number on the developmental toxicity of five micropollutants was investigated using embryos of the marine polychaete Platynereis dumerilii. The toxicity of hydrophobic micropollutants was found to decrease significantly with increasing the number of embryos used in the test. A quantitative model was developed to better describe how the number of embryos affected developmental toxicity. The model showed a satisfactory fit to the raw data in all scenarios tested. The intrinsic half-maximal effective concentration EC 50,int was then determined using the model. For a given compound, the EC 50,int was a stable parameter that did not depend on the number of test embryos and thus provided an indication of the intrinsic toxicity of the compounds tested. Compared with the EC 50 values determined with the commonly used embryo number (around 120), the EC 50,int values of all tested hydrophobic micropollutants were lower. The more hydrophobic the compounds tested, the more pronounced the reduction in toxicity. This suggested that hydrophobic micropollutants could be more toxic than reported in the literature. Some suggestions were also made to eliminate the effect of the number of organisms used in the toxicity evaluation. [Display omitted] • The role of organism biomass on the toxicity assessment was studied for the first time. • The toxicity of hydrophobic micropollutants was largely restrained using high organism biomass. • A quantitative model was developed to describe the role of the tested embryo number. • Hydrophobic compounds might be more toxic than reported in the literature. • Some suggestions to obtain more accurate toxicity evaluation were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to uncover the alpha-glucosidase inhibition (AGI) and antioxidant activities of Ensete superbum seed extract. The AGI activity of crude extract (IC50 = 0.17 μg/ml) and silica gel column purified fraction (ESSFR4; IC50 = 0.02 μg/ml) was excellent when compared to acarbose (IC50 = 1720 μg/ml). Also, the free-radical scavenging ability of ESSFR4 was comparable to ascorbic acid. Among the five compounds identified from ESSFR4, pentasiloxane, dodecamethyl and 2,4-hexadienedioic acid, bis(trimethylsilyl) ester, had the best binding affinities against human and yeast AG enzymes respectively. However, ADME/toxicity evaluation of these five compounds revealed that they would require further structural scrutiny and in vivo studies before recommending them as an alternative to the present AGIs to treat type-2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sap-sucking insect pests have been a severe threat to horticultural and agricultural crops all over the world. Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Psyllidae: Hemiptera) and cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover (Aphididae: Hemiptera) are destructive sap-sucking pests of citrus and cotton, respectively. Extensive use of persistent synthetic insecticides against these pests poses issues of environmental contaminations and health hazards and suggests looking for alternate biorational plant protection measures such as botanical pesticides. This study evaluated the potential toxicity of acetone extracts of 40 indigenous plant species of Soon valley and surrounding salt range (Punjab, Pakistan) against D. citri and A. gossypii using standard twig-dip and leaf-dip bioassay methods, respectively. Results of initial screening bioassay showed the highest mortality of D. citri by 10% extracts of Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (93%), Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall. (91%), Nerium indicum Mill. (89%), Datura alba L. (88%) and Salvia officinalis L. (81%). Second bioassay conducted against A. gossypii using different concentrations (5, 10, 20 and 40%) of the most effective botanical extracts revealed that the extract of S. officinalis was most toxic (LC50 = 18.59%), followed by N. indicum (LC50 = 20.27%) and M. longifolia (LC50 = 20.73%). Similar trend of effectiveness was observed regarding their LT50 values. Overall study results demonstrated the biocidal potential of the extracts of indigenous plant species of Soon valley against D. citri and A. gossypii, and suggest their further biochemical characterization and practical implication in future IPM programs against these and other sap-feeding insect pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural mucilages are auspicious biodegradable polymeric materials. The aim of the present research work was to elucidate the characteristics of quince mucilage-based polymeric network for sustained delivery of metprolol tartrate and its toxicity evaluation. Mucilage was extracted by hot water extraction, and characterization of quince mucilage was accomplished by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Different batches of quince mucilage polymeric network were prepared by free radical polymerization by utilizing varying ratios of quince mucilage, acrylamide and crosslinker. Degree of swelling depends on concentration of mucilage, monomer and also on crosslinking density of polymeric network. FTIR illustrates proficient grafting, and morphological (scanning electron microscopy) analysis signified porous design. Hence, quince mucilage-based design was encouraging for sustained delivery of metprolol tartrate and acute toxicity evaluation proved that mucilage-based network was safe for oral drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Linear GBCAs exhibited more gadolinium retention in multi-organ/tissue versus macrocyclic GBCAs. • In most case, linear GBCAs show faster accumulation and regression speed in examined tissues than macrocyclic GBCAs. • Linear GBCAs can evoke transient increase of heat hyperalgesia and white blood cells. • Gadodiamide can cause reversible vacuolar changes in the renal tubular epithelial cells. • Long-term injection of gadodiamide induces severe skin lesion in mice tail. As nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and increased signal intensities in deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) were successively discovered in renal insufficiency patients and healthy persons after gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) exposure, an awareness of potential toxicity with GBCAs exposure has been heightening. Herein, we performed a multi-organ/tissue toxicity assessment after different GBCAs administration with a large number of samples, and long-term, time-course schedule investigation. ICR mice were randomized to five exposure groups (n = 42/group) and received intravenous injection of GBCAs (2.5 mmol Gd/kg) or saline four time a week for 5 consecutive weeks. Gadolinium concentration detection, sensory tests, histological and hematological analyses were performed at corresponding timepoints (4th or 6th or 10th week). Our results showed that (i) gadodiamide could cause reversible vacuolar changes in the renal tubular epithelial cells, which appeared at 6th week and recovered at 10th week, and severe skin lesion in mice tail with consecutive injection for 10 weeks, that (ii) linear GBCAs (gadodiamide and gadopentetate dimeglumine) markedly elevated heat hyperalgesia and white blood cells of mice at 6th week and most of these changes could recovery at 10th week, and that (iii) linear GBCAs exhibited more gadolinium retention in multi-organ/tissue versus macrocyclic GBCAs and in most case, linear GBCAs showed faster accumulation and regression speed in examined tissues than macrocyclic GBCAs excepting gadodiamide in skin which showed slowest regression speed. Collectively, macrocyclic GBCAs presents more stable, lower propensity to release Gd and safer profiles versus linear GBCAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragrances can cause general health issues, and special concerns exist surrounding the issue of skin safety. Cinnamyl alcohol (CAL) is a frequent fragrance contact allergen that has various toxic effects on indiscriminate animals. In the present study, the photodegradation transformation mechanism of CAL and toxicity evolution during this process were examined. The results showed that CAL (50 μM) can be completely degraded after 90‐min ultraviolet (UV) irradiation with a degradation rate of 0.086 min–1. Increased toxicity on bioluminescent bacteria was observed during this process, with lethality increasing from 10.6% (0 min) to 50.2% (90 min) under UV light irradiation. Further, the photodegradation mechanisms of CAL were explored to find the reason behind the increased toxicity observed. Laser flash photolysis and quenching experiments showed that O2•–, 1O2, and •OH were mainly responsible for CAL photodegradation, together with 3CAL* and eaq–. The 5 main photodegradation products were cinnamyl aldehyde, benzaldehyde, benzenepropanal, cinnamic acid, and toluene, as identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight–mass spectrometry. Once exposed to air, CAL was found to be easily oxidized to cinnamyl aldehyde and subsequently to cinnamic acid by O2•–‐ or 1O2‐mediated pathways, leading to increased toxicity. Benzaldehyde exhibited bioreactive toxicity, increasing the toxicity through •OH‐mediated pathways. Theoretical prediction of skin irritation indicated that cinnamyl aldehyde (0.83), benzenepropanal (0.69), cinnamyl aldehyde (0.69), and benzaldehyde (0.70) were higher than CAL (0.63), which may cause a profound impact on an individual's health and well‐being. Overall, the present study advances the understanding of the photodegradation processes and health impacts of fragrance ingredients. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2705–2714. © 2021 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harmful effects of excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure are well known. However, moderate exposure to UV radiation is beneficial and required for active vitamin D synthesis in our body. People living in the coldest regions on the earth are unable to expose their skin to the solar UV radiation and, therefore, additional supplementation of Vitamin D2 is recommended. Mushrooms are one such consumable macrofungi, which has high vitamin content and therefore used in various traditional medicines. Particularly, UVB‐irradiated mushrooms are rich in active vitamin D content and that is why recommended to include in the daily diets for the patients suffering from the problems associated with bone mineralization. In the present study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effect of mushroom extract (UVB‐ME) (Lentinus edodes) treatment against MG‐63 cells, HepG2 cells, and CCD 841 CoN cells. Furthermore, we elucidated the potential of UVB‐ME on Ca++ uptake in osteoblast‐like MG‐63 cells. Next, we validated the response of Ca++ uptake on the growth and development of zebrafish larvae. In addition, the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory potential of UVB‐ME treatment against lipopolysaccharide‐induced inflammatory response was also analyzed in vivo. Collectively, the study suggested that dietary supplementation of UVB‐irradiated mushroom is beneficial for bone calcification and could modulate the host immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly efficient photocatalysts for the removal of antibiotics and heavy metals is of vital importance but remains a great challenge. In this investigation, a novel S-scheme Cs 3 PMo 12 O 40 /MnIn 2 S 4 (CPM/MIS) heterojunction with core-shell structure was fabricated successfully via hydrothermal synthesis/dissolution-precipitation approaches, which was labelled as x CPM/MIS (x = 5, 7, 9 and 11, respectively). In the composites, these 2D MIS nanoflakes were securely and uniformly affixed on the exterior of 3D CPM nanospheres, which was verified through SEM and TEM. These as-produced materials manifested enhanced photocatalytic activity towards antibiotics (tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP)) degradation and Cr(VI) reduction with visible light, and the removal rates of the optimal 9 CPM/MIS for TC, CIP and Cr(VI) could reach 97.81%, 61.78% and 67.07%, respectively. Of note, these resulting CPM/MIS composites possessed excellent stability and reusability. The outstanding photocatalytic property was attributed to the synergistic effect arising from the advantageous core-shell structure and S-scheme heterostructure. This configuration strengthened robustly interfacial interaction between the constituents, which effectively enhanced light absorption in visible region, promoted the separation and transfer efficiency of photoinduced carriers, and preserved the charge carriers with heightened redox abilities. The ESR spectra and trapping tests confirmed the dominating role of holes and superoxide radical in contaminants removal. Additionally, the high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) technique was employed to identify the photodegradation pathways of TC. And the product toxicity was evaluated using QSAR prediction. Conclusively, combining the in situ XPS data and analysis of energy band structure, a S-scheme catalytic mechanism was elucidated. This study opens new avenues for systematically designing and fabricating S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with outstanding catalytic property for contaminants removal. [Display omitted] • CPM/MIS S-scheme heterojunction with core-shell structure was prepared. • The effect of operating parameters on TC degradation was detailedly studied. • The probable degradation pathways of TC were investigated by HPLC-MS. • The toxicity of TC degradation intermediates was appraised by QSAR prediction. • A S-scheme mechanism was verified by in situ XPS and energy band structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The removal rate of ofloxacin reached 96.91% by RPGM-activated persulfate. • The ofloxacin removal was affected by high concentration of NO 3 − and HCO 3 −. • SO 4 ·− and HO· played a crucial role in ofloxacin degradation. • RPGM exhibited excellent stability and reusability in cyclic degradations. • The intermediate degradation products and possible degradation pathways of ofloxacin were analyzed. Ofloxacin (OFL) is a non-biodegradable novel organic pollutant in the environment. In this study, a novel reusable porous gel microsphere (RPGM) of sodium alginate-coated biochar with nano-zero-valent iron was prepared to activate persulfate (PDS) to remove OFL in water. The degradation process was fitted to the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, and the findings revealed that the rate of OFL removal in the RPGM/PDS system amounted to 96.91 % within 60 min utilizing 0.4 g/L RPGM and 5 mM PDS. On OFL removal, the effect of reaction conditions, including OFL concentration, RPGM dosage, initial pH, temperature, and inorganic anions was discussed. RPGM exhibited excellent stability in removing OFL, it could be recycled to activate persulfate, and the removal rate of OFL was maintained at 99.73 ∼ 78.61 % within 6 cycles. The free radical quench showed the pivotal role that SO 4 ·− and HO· performed in the degradation of OFL. By using UPLC-QTOF-MS, the intermediate degradation products of OFL were examined, and the possible degradation pathway was proposed. Furthermore, the T.E.S.T. was used to project the toxicity of OFL and the intermediate degradation products. In summary, OFL can be degraded effectively and reproducibly using RPGM-activated PDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Visible light-driven degradation of CEF was investigated in a flat plate photoreactor. • Fe-N-TiO 2 on PS plate was used as structured photocatalyst. • S-VD light modulation showed 75% of CEF degradation and TOC removal of 70%. • A strong reduction of electric energy consumption was achieved with S-VD modulation. • The photocatalytic treatment can significantly reduce the toxicity of CEF solution. In this paper, the effect of light modulation on photocatalytic ceftriaxone (CEF) degradation in aqueous solution was investigated. The experimental set-up consisted of a fixed bed photocatalytic reactor with a flat plate geometry and visible LEDs for irradiation. Fe-N-codoped TiO 2 photocatalyst was immobilized on a polystyrene plate (PS) by solvent casting method to achieve a structured photocatalyst (Fe-N-TiO 2 /PS), which was loaded in the photoreactor. Raman and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Fe-N-TiO 2 on the PS surface and its uniform distribution on the polymer support. Various LEDs dimming techniques were tested with fixed and variable duty-cycle values. In particular, the following modulations were used: fixed duty-cycle (FD), sinusoidal variable duty-cycle (S-VD), triangular variable duty-cycle (T-VD), square wave variable duty-cycle (SW-VD), saw-tooth variable duty-cycle (ST-VD), pulse variable duty-cycle (P-VD), and pseudo-sinusoidal variable duty-cycle (PS-VD). The optimal light modulation was the S-VD, with an average fed current between 25 and 75 mA and a period of 30 s. Indeed, by using S-VD modulation, the highest value of the apparent CEF degradation kinetic constant (resulting 0.0082 min−1) and the highest total organic carbon (TOC) removal (70 %) were achieved. By comparing the electric energy consumption (E E/O) with S-VD modulation used in this work with those found in other literature studies dealing with the photocatalytic ceftriaxone degradation, a significant decrease of E E/O was evidenced. Moreover, toxicity test showed that the photocatalytic treatment allowed to significantly reduce the toxicity of CEF solution when compared to untreated effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lanthanide metal Nd-evoked valence electronic modulation of Co in Co@NC nanocubes. • Nd-doping induces defect sites and hydrophibicity regulation of Co@NC nanocubes. • Enhanced degradation activity and reusability of Nd/Co@NC-0.2 for 4-NP is obtained. • Radical/non-radical and direct electron transfer pathway are detected in the system. • Toxicity of intermediates and degradation pathways by the system are unveiled. Metallic Co-based materials are widely recognized as benchmark catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. However, they still suffer from relatively low stability and reusability, necessitating the development of efficient regulation strategies. In this study, we propose a unique and effective approach using neodymium (Nd)-mediated valence electronic and surface microenvironment regulation to enhance the catalytic properties of Co/N-doped carbon cubes for the degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The strong coordination between the negatively charged organic ligands and positively charged Nd and Co metal ions ensures the intense coupling of Nd and Co sites in the synthesized sample through pyrolysis. Notably, the incorporation of Nd not only modulates the valence electronic properties of Co sites but also increases the defect degree, surface hydrophobicity, and conductivity of the resulting material. These enhancements are responsible for the high-performance degradation of 4-NP through PMS activation. The optimal Nd/Co@NC-0.2 catalyst achieves a remarkable degradation efficiency of 95 % within 20 min, while also exhibiting enhanced stability and reusability. Furthermore, our developed system demonstrates good tolerances to different conditions, solution pH and inorganic/organic substances. The degradation system involves both radical/non-radical and direct electron transfer pathways. We also unveil the reaction intermediates, their toxicities and the degradation pathways catalyzed by the Nd/Co@NC-0.2/PMS system. This study presents a novel strategy utilizing lanthanide metal-evoked regulation to enhance capability of Co-based catalysts for PMS activation towards the degradation of harmful organics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • S(IV) can significantly improve the removal rate of IBP by 22.3% in WFDBD system. • A small amount of S(IV) instead of PS can obtain higher degradation but lower cost. • OH, ·SO 4 -, 1O 2, ·O 2 – and e- were involved in the degradation of IBP. • Active substances dominant to IBP degradation were explored based on LC-MS and DFT. • The toxicity was significantly reduced after treatment with WFDBD/S(IV) system. Herein, we proposed sulfite [S(IV)] activation by water film dielectric barrier discharge plasma (WFDBD) to produce ·SO 4 - to improve the removal efficiency of ibuprofen (IBP). The results show that the WFDBD/S(IV) system can significantly improve the removal rate of IBP by 22.3% compared with the WFDBD plasma system alone. Compared with persulfate (PS), a small amount of S(IV) can present a high degradation promotion, and S(IV) instead of PS can indeed reduce cost consumption. The active substances including ·OH, ·SO 4 -, 1O 2, and ·O 2 –, were detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR), and the quenching agents were added to verify the important role and contribution of the above active substances in the degradation of IBP. The degradation of IBP consumes H 2 O 2 , O 3 , ·OH, and ·SO 4 - in WFDBD/S(IV) system. Through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and density functional theory (DFT) simulation, the degradation pathway of IBP and the role of active substances in the degradation process were inferred. Subsequently, by ECOSAR calculation and seed detection toxicity, it was found that the toxicity was significantly reduced after treatment with WFDBD/S(IV) system. The increase in input power, duty cycle, and solution flow rate all has a positive impact on the degradation of IBP, and IBP degrades better under acidic conditions. Finally, by treating different organic compounds and actual wastewater, it was found that inorganic ions have an impact on the WFDBD/S(IV) system, but the selectivity of the system is low and it has good effects on the treatment of domestic wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim to obtain novel compounds possessing both strong affinity against human carbonic anhydrases and low toxicity, we synthesised novel thiourea and sulphonamide derivatives 3, 4 and 10, and studied their in vitro inhibitory properties against human CA I, CA II and CA IX. We also evaluated the toxicity of these compounds using zebrafish larvae. Among the three compounds, derivative 4 showed efficient inhibition against hCA II (KI = 58.6 nM). Compound 10 showed moderate inhibition against hCA II (KI = 199.2 nM) and hCA IX (KI = 147.3 nM), whereas it inhibited hCA I less weakly at micromolar concentrations (KI = 6428.4 nM). All other inhibition constants for these compounds were in the submicromolar range. The toxicity evaluation studies showed no adverse effects on the zebrafish larvae. Our study suggests that these compounds are suitable for further preclinical characterisation as potential inhibitors of hCA I, II and IX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• UV/H 2 O 2 system is an effective method to degrade TCEP in aqueous solution. • TCEP was transformed to several hydroxylated and dechlorinated products. • The degradation products of high concentration TCEP were more toxic. Tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) with the initial concentration of 5 mg/L was degraded by UV/H 2 O 2 oxidation process. The removal rate of TCEP in the UV/H 2 O 2 system was 89.1% with the production of Cl− and PO 4 3− of 0.23 and 0.64 mg/L. The removal rate of total organic carbon of the reaction was 48.8% and the pH reached 3.3 after the reaction. The oxidative degradation process of TCEP in the UV/H 2 O 2 system obeyed the first order kinetic reaction with the apparent rate constant of 0.0025 min−1 (R 2=0.9788). The intermediate products were isolated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. The addition reaction of HO• and H 2 O and the oxidation reaction with H 2 O 2 were found during the degradation pathway of 5 mg/L TCEP in the UV/H 2 O 2 system. For the first time, environment risk was estimated via the "ecological structure activity relationships" program and acute and chronic toxicity changes of intermediate products were pointed out. The luminescence inhibition rate of photobacterium was used to evaluate the acute toxicity of intermediate products. The results showed that the toxicity of the intermediate products increased with the increase of reaction time, which may be due to the production of chlorine compounds. Some measures should be introduced to the UV/H 2 O 2 system to remove the highly toxic Cl-containing compounds, such as a nanofiltration or reverse osmosis unit. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Photocatalytic ozonation totally degraded the parabens mixture over 120 min reactions. • 10 % N-TiO 2 (ammonia) had the best result for parabens degradation and TOC and COD removal. • Low amount of urea on TiO 2 enhances cress seeds growth and reduces the mortality of clams. • Treated solutions presented lower toxicities to bacteria, cress and clams. Degradation of a mixture of five parabens was evaluated using photocatalytic oxidation, photolytic ozonation and photocatalytic ozonation, being applied UVA radiation and N-TiO2 doped catalysts. Photocatalytic oxidation was not able to eliminate parabens, achieving less than 10 % of removal. The use of ozone and UVA radiation resulted in total contaminants abatement with a transferred ozone dose (TOD) of 46.2 mg L−1. Photocatalytic ozonation also totally removed parabens but with a considerable reduction of TOD required along with higher COD and TOC removals, up to 35.7 % and 34.1 %, respectively, for the best catalyst (ammonia-doped 10 % N-TiO 2). Toxicity tests were conducted using three different species. Lepidium sativum seeds had higher growth indexes (GIs) when exposed to solutions treated by photocatalytic ozonation reactions. Nevertheless, Allivibrio fischeri and Corbicula fluminea demonstrated lower toxic responses to photolytic ozonation treated solution which may be related with the different by-products formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new biogenic method was used for fabricating gold-anchored ZnO nanorods (Au@ZnO) as photocatalyst using leaf extract of Ziziphus Jujuba as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The green method did not involve any toxic chemicals (such as organic solvents and surfactants) and additional reducing agents. UV–Vis spectra of Au@ZnO showed an absorbance band around 547 nm due to the biogenic formation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the ZnO nanorods (NRs). In addition, the deposition of AuNPs alleviated the photoluminescence emission from the ZnO NRs, indicative of enhanced separation and transfer of photo−generated charge carriers. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of Au@ZnO showed the distinct deposition of multiple AuNPs on the ZnO surface. In the photodegradation of methyl orange and industrial textile effluent, the Au@ZnO exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity (up to 3–4 times) compared to Au-free analogue (i.e., ZnO NRs), due to its extended absorbance and effective Schottky barrier between the AuNPs and ZnO NRs. A scavenger study revealed that ˙OH and ˙O2− were the main active species playing vital roles in the photodegradation process. Most importantly, toxicity assessment on the tissue histopathology of Oreochromis niloticus gills revealed that the degraded products from the textile effluent (TE) had negligible toxicity, indicating the excellent photocatalytic activity of biogenic Au@ZnO in the treatment of industrial TE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effluent organic matter (EfOM), which is composed of background natural organic matter (NOM), soluble microbial degradation products, and trace amounts of organic pollutants, can play an important role in the photodegradation of emerging pollutants in the effluent. In this study, the impact of organic pollutants, using fenofibrate acid (FNFA) as a representative, on the photodegradation of emerging contaminants, using bezafibrate (BZF) as a representative, in effluents was investigated. It is found that BZF undergo fast degradation in the presence of FNFA although BZF is recalcitrant to degradation under simulated sunlight irradiation. The promotional effect of FNFA is due to the generation of singlet oxygen (1O 2) and hydrated electrons (e- aq). Based on the structures of the identified intermediates, 1O 2 initiated oxidation and e- aq initiated reduction reactions were the main photodegradation pathways of BZF in the effluents. The toxicity of the main photodegradation intermediates for BZF and FNFA was higher than that of the parent compounds, and the acute toxicity increased during simulated sunlight irradiation. The results demonstrated that trace amounts of organic compounds in EfOM can play an important role in sensitizing the photodegradation of some emerging pollutants in the effluent. Image 1 • Trace amounts of organic pollutants sensitized photodegradation was investigated. • BZF undergoes efficient photodegradation in the presence of FNFA in effluents. • Hydrated electron was proved to involve in the photodegradation of organic pollutants. • Increased toxicity was observed and more toxic intermediates were generated from BZF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrylamide (AA) is a heat-processed potent food carcinogen that is widely used in industry, posing a significant risk to human health. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the toxic effects and mechanism of AA. miR-21 is a representative biomarker during AA-induced carcinogenesis. Here, dual-color aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles (AIENPs) were developed for the detection and simultaneous imaging of AA and miR-21. AIENPs were synthesized by combining aggregation-induced emission (AIE) dyes and a poly (styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PSMA) amphiphilic polymer modified with hairpin DNA. Upon AA intervention and aptamer recognition, cDNA was dissociated, leading to miR-21 overexpression and initiating the catalytic hairpin assembly cycle. Consequently, fluorescence quenching was observed due to FRET between AIENPs and labeled quenchers. The relative fluorescence intensities of dual-color AIENPs displayed good linear relationships with logarithmic AA and miR-21 concentrations. Moreover, there was a gradual decrease in dual-color AIENP fluorescence as the HepG2 cell concentration of AA (0–500 μM) and stimulation time (0–12 h) increased, making it possible to simultaneously image AA and AA-induced miR-21. The findings of this work are valuable for revealing the cytotoxic mechanism of AA. [Display omitted] • The aptamer and CHA were combined for specific and ultrasensitive detection. • The dual-color AIENPs was employed for the in-situ imaging. • The liposomes were applied for efficient transfecting the DNA to the cells. • The simultaneous imaging of AA and miR-21 can evaluate AA toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • • Concrete-based hydrotalcites was used for persulfate-activation to degrade AMX. • • Active sites of AMX molecule in degradation reaction were proposed by DFT calculation. • • Mechanism and pathway of AMX degradation were proposed. • • The toxicity of AMX and its degradation intermediates was evaluated. Concrete-based hydrotalcites (CLDHs) was synthesized from concrete to activate peroxysulphate (PDS) for amoxicillin (AMX) degradation. The proportion of Fe2+ in CLDHs was optimized, the effects of initial pH, CLDHs/PDS ratio and PDS dosage on AMX degradation were investigated. To clarify the removal mechanism and degradation pathway of AMX, a quenching test was conducted to identify the active species in the system, the reactive sites of AMX were predicted by density functional theory (DFT) calculation, and the degradation intermediates of AMX were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Furthermore, the toxicity of AMX and its degradation intermediates were evaluated based on quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR). The results showed that when the molar ratio of M2+/M3+ in CLDHs was 2:1, the optimal mole proportion of Fe2+ in M2+ was 33 %. The activation system obtained better AMX removal as pH value ranged in 4–6, and the optimum CLDHs/PDS mass ratio was 2.6. The removal of AMX by CLDHs-PDS system was the coordination of S O 4 · - and H O · , and the contribution of S O 4 · - was slightly higher than that of H O ·. Based on DFT calculations and intermediates identification, the degradation pathway of AMX in CLDHs-PDS system was proposed, including quaternary ring opening reaction and hydroxylation reaction. The ecotoxicological assessment showed a slight increase in toxicity of intermediates during AMX degradation. Therefore, appropriate time extension is required to ensure the full mineralization of AMX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electrochemical oxidation and electrochemical reduction degraded ZEN completely. • The product by electrochemical oxidation was not harmful, while by reduction were more toxic. • Electrochemical oxidation was applied to effectively degrade ZEN in wheat grains. Zearalenone (ZEN), one of the most common mycotoxins in cereals, poses a severe health risk to humans. In this study, electrochemical oxidation and reduction degraded ZEN in solution completely within 8 min and 20 min. The structure of ZEN products was elucidated by mass spectrometry (MS), and their toxicity was evaluated by ECOSAR software and cytotoxicity assay. From simulation, electrochemical oxidation products had lower acute and chronic toxicity, and the product at 9.0 V is not harmful (LC 50 /EC 50 greater than 100 mg/L, ChV greater than 10 mg/L). CCK-8 assay further confirmed their less cytotoxicity. To our surprise, LC 50 , EC 50 , and ChVs of all electrochemical reduction products were lower than 1 mg/L, and cell viabilities were less than ZEN, meaning the higher toxicity of electrochemical reduction products. On this Basis, electrochemical oxidation was applied in ZEN contaminated wheat with a degradation rate of 92.32 ± 2.37%, indicating its potential to degrade ZEN practically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]