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Polygonatum sibiricum (P. sibiricum) rhizomes are widely used as a tonic and functional food, and are often processed to enhance their tonic function by repeated steaming and drying. As the most important constituent, the polysaccharide from P. sibiricum rhizomes (PSP) has demonstrated various activities, but the alteration of structural characteristics and activities of the purified PSPs during steaming process was rarely investigated. To well understand the effect of steaming process on the polysaccharides of P. sibiricum, neutral polysaccharides from P. sibiricum rhizomes (PSP0 ~ PSP9) after steaming were first isolated and purified, and then the chemical properties and antioxidant activities were determined. The results showed that the molar ratios of monosaccharides in PSPs were different. The molecular weights of PSPs were increased significantly after the fourth steaming. Morphological studies showed that the surface of PSPs became much tighter during the steaming process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra displayed the polysaccharides had similar backbones and chemical groups. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of PSPs was measured through radical scavenging tests. It was found that the radical scavenging activity of PSPs was elevated strikingly after steaming, and increased gradually with numbers of steaming process. The biological and chemical variance of PSPs revealed considerable segregation of PSP0, PSP1 ~ PSP4 and PSP5 ~ PSP9. In conclusion, our results proposed the fourth time as the optimal number of steaming to extract functional polysaccharide from P. sibiricum rhizomes.

Today’s shortage of effective antimicrobial agents can be overcome by using antimicrobial peptides, which are produced naturally by a wide range of organisms, including microorganisms, plants, and mammals. Among these chemical groups, peptaibols are the well-known compounds with various biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antimycoplasmic, antitrypanosomal, and others. In this review, we summarize today’s knowledge on the sources, direct surface applications, and the mode of action of the peptaibols with anticancer and antifungal activity produced by filamentous fungi.

Despite recent advances, Chagas disease is still a public health issue that requires more efforts in order to develop efficient and safe drugs. Plants and fungi are the main source for semi-synthetic natural-inspired new molecules to treat human illness. In the present work, we summarize the main findings of natural-derived and semi-synthetic alkaloids against Trypanosoma cruzi. Over the last 10 years, at least seven alkaloids groups with structural modifications, including 130 molecules and almost 100 semi-synthetic compounds derived from natural alkaloids, including hybrids molecules, modifications of aliphatic chain extension, chemical groups, and heteroatoms, were analyzed for its toxicity over parasites and mammalian cells. According to the available data, there are a good number of promising natural and/or semi-synthetic alkaloids that would meet the criteria to become candidates in the drug discovery process against Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. Main scaffolds that deserve special attention are natural quinolones, isoquinolines, and semi-synthetic hybrids molecules.

Lentinus squarrosulus is a mushroom widely used in Gabon for its culinary and medicinal properties. The bioactive potential of mushrooms might be attributable to the presence of several pharmaceutically important mycocompounds that need to be ascertained scientifically. A study of the therapeutic potential of L. squarrosulus, the species of lignicolous fungus exploited in Gabon, was carried out on the basis of a chemical screening performed on three extracts in order to highlight different important chemical groups. This chemical screening was followed by a study of the fungus's antioxidant activity and prediction of its additional pharmacological activities. Chemical screening revealed that three extracts (aqueous, hydroethanolic, and ethanolic) of L. squarrosulus were almost free of tannins and were poor in total flavonoids and moderately rich in reducing sugars. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts were rich in total polyphenols, whereas aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts were rich in alkaloids. The aqueous extract was rich in saponosides and the hydroethanolic extract was rich in coumarins. The dosage of phenolic compounds confirmed the fungus's richness in total polyphenols, especially for aqueous and ethanolic extracts, its poverty in flavonoids and absence of tannins in ethanolic and hydroethanolic extracts. Regarding antioxidant activities, the results obtained for diphenyl picryl hydrazyl trapping tests showed that the different extracts tested had antioxidant activity ranging from low to moderate (0.12 ≤ antioxidant activity index [IAA] ≤ 0.6); the greatest activity was obtained with ethanolic extract (IAA = 0.6). Hence, we conclude that L. squarrosulus extracts can be used as easily accessible sources of natural antioxidants for potential preventative therapies.

The problem of the development of adverse reactions as a result of the use of diagnostic and medicinal products (drugs) in medicine is becoming increasingly important. Patients more often note reactions to local anesthetics (LA) – 43.2 %, antibiotics – 18.8 %, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – 9.7 %, other drugs – 28.4 %. LA include two chemical groups: esters of benzoic acid (Ester-type anesthetics), which are potentially allergens, and amides (Amide-type anesthetics), which have virtually no allergenic potential. Based on the history for doctor is often difficult to assess the risk of allergic reactions, so if in the past the patient had a side effect of LA, then these drugs should be skin and provocative tests, having obtained the informed consent of the subject to conduct them. Skin prick tests are used for initial diagnosis in patients with suspected LA allergy. If the results of the pre-test and intradermal test are negative, a subcutaneous challenge test with LA is performed. Skin testing for suspected hypersensitivity (НS) of the delayed type begins with application (patch) tests and only with a negative result using an intradermal test with LA. Laboratory methods for diagnosing НS to LA are used much less often than skin and provocative tests, because for many drugs the appropriate methods have not been developed, as well as because it is a time-consuming and expensive method of diagnosis. Therapeutic tactics in the event of НS to LA include providing patients with emergency care in the development of anaphylaxis and treatment of other clinical manifestations of HS reactions in accordance with existing international and domestic protocols. Epinephrine, oxygen therapy, colloid/crystalloid infusions, antihistamines, systemic and topical corticosteroids, protease inhibitors, inhaled β2-agonists, leukotriene receptor antagonists, etc. are most commonly used for this purpose.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate acaricide resistance in Rhipicephalus microplus on a ranch in Brazil. Adult immersion tests were performed using commercial formulations containing orga...

Aims: To Determine antioxidant value and chemical groups in selected medicinal plants used for conditions associated with Herpes simplex and Herpes zoster infections in Mukhwa sub-location, Kakamega County, Kenya. Study Design: A qualitative ethnobotanical survey for plant identification and chemical analysis for antioxidant assay and chemical group detection. Place and Duration of Study: Plant samples were collected in Mukhwa sub-location in September 2014. Sample processing and chemical group detection was carried out at the Center of Traditional Medicine and Drug Research of Kenya Medical Research Institute. Antioxidant assay was carried out at the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences of the Kenya Medical Training College. Methodology: All 12 Community Health Workers, comprising 7 females and 5 males, were interviewed for identification of plant species. Antioxidant assay was carried out using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) reduction assay and detection of flavonoids, terpenoids, alkanoids, saponins and phenols carried out using physicho-chemical methods. Results: Caesalpinia decapetala, Garcinia buchananii and Entada abyssinica, were the most potent sources of antioxidant with the concentration giving 50% DPPH reduction (RSa50) of 50, 20 and 10 µg/ml, respectively. The most abundant chemical groups were; alkaloids in Schkuhria pinnata, terpenoids in E. abyssinica, flavonoids in G. buchananii, the latter also contained the highest amount of phenols. Conclusion: The findings of antioxidant and chemical groups in selected medicinal plants support their use for HIV conditions.

A large population of dogs creates a demand for effective drugs to protect them from arthropods, which have a negative influence when they attack animals. Arthropods can be vectors of pathogens of dangerous infectious and invasive diseases, including anthroponoses. Thus, ixodic ticks can cause oppression, dermatitis, intoxication, anemia, reducing the body's resistance and can be vectors of pathogens of viral, bacterial, protozoan diseases of animals and humans. The most common and dangerous protozoosis of dogs is babesiosis. Ixodic ticks are biological vectors of genus Babesia. In order to prevent babesiosis it is recommended to use acaricides for animals. To inhibit the development of drug resistant populations of arthropods, it is recommended to use a combination of active substances. The aim of the work was to study the effectiveness of the combined insectoacaricidal preparation «AcaroKILL» against ixodic ticks. Research material and methods. The research was conducted in April-May 2020 in Kharkiv region, on the basis of the research laboratory of the Department of Parasitology at Kharkiv State Zooveterinary Academy, veterinary clinic «911». The research was conducted on domestic dogs aged 4 to 8 years. The study was conducted using general and special methods, which included analysis of animal conditions and clinical and parasitological examination of animals. The drug was used according to the manufacturer's instructions. Efficiency of the drug was determined by indicators of animal safety, duration of acaricidal action. Results of research and discussion. The results of the research showed that the complex preparation «AcaroKILL» containing a combination of active substances from different chemical groups had a pronounced acaricidal effect lasting up to 30 days. Negative effect of the preparation on experimental animals was not established. The preparation «AcaroKILL» can be recommended for the control of ixodic ticks according to the instructions, observing the precautions using it. Рrospects for further research is to study the effectiveness of «AcaroKILL» against other arthropods.

This paper presents a study of the anxiolytic activity of compounds that belong to two classes of chemical groups: derivatives of 11H-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro[1,3]diazepino[1,2-a]benzimidazole (BIF) and derivatives of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (AZH). The study has revealed that the studied compounds exhibit different degrees of tranquilizing action. The most potent anxiolytics were compounds BIF-66 and AZH-57. These compounds hold promise for an in-depth study of their neuropsychotropic profile.

UV filters are a group of compounds commonly used in different cosmetic products to absorb UV radiation. They are classified into a variety of chemical groups, such as benzophenones, salicylates, benzotriazoles, cinnamates, p-aminobenzoates, triazines, camphor derivatives, etc. Different tests have shown that some of these chemicals are absorbed through the skin and metabolised or bioaccumulated. These processes can cause negative health effects, including mutagenic and cancerogenic ones. Due to the absence of official monitoring protocols, there is an increased number of analytical methods that enable the determination of those compounds in cosmetic samples to ensure user safety, as well as in biological fluids and tissues samples, to obtain more information regarding their behaviour in the human body. This review aimed to show and discuss the published studies concerning analytical methods for the determination of organic UV filters in cosmetic and biological samples. It focused on sample preparation, analytical techniques, and analytical performance (limit of detection, accuracy, and repeatability).

Objective: To investigate if case fatality and other indicators of the severity of human pesticide poisonings can be used to prioritize pesticides of public health concern. To study the heterogeneity of data across countries, cause of poisonings, and treatment facilities. Methods: We searched literature databases as well as the internet for studies on case-fatality and severity scores of pesticide poisoning. Studies published between 1990 and 2014 providing information on active ingredients in pesticides or chemical groups of active ingredients were included. The variability of case-fatality-ratios was analyzed by computing the coefficient of variation as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean. Findings: A total of 149 papers were identified of which 67 could be included after assessment. Case-fatality-ratio (CFR) on 66 active ingredients and additionally on 13 groups of active ingredients were reported from 20 countries. The overall median CFR for group of pesticides was 9%, for single pesticides 8%. Of those 12 active ingredients with a CFR above 20% more than half are WHO-classified as “moderately hazardous” or “unlikely to present acute hazard”. Two of seven pesticides considered “unlikely to present hazard in normal use” showed a CFR above 20%. The cross-study variability of reported case fatality was rather low. Studies most often utilized the Glasgow Coma Score for grading the severity of poisoning. Conclusion: Although human pesticide poisoning is a serious public health problem, an unexpectedly small number of publications report on the clinical outcomes within our study period. However, CFRs of acute human pesticide poisoning are available for several groups of pesticides as well as for active ingredients showing moderate cross-study variability. Our results underline that CFR is an indicator of the human toxicity of pesticides and can be utilized to prioritize highly hazardous pesticides especially since there is limited correspondence between the animal-test-based hazard classification and the human CFR of the respective pesticide. The reporting of available poisoning data should be improved, human case-fatality data are a reasonable tool to be included systematically in the periodic statutory review of pesticides and their regulation.

Antihistamines are commonly used medications for the treatment of allergic diseases or chronic spontaneous urticaria. They are usually well tolerated and effective. Antihistamines are classified into six chemical groups : piperazines, piperidines, phenothiazines, ethanolamines, ethylenediamines and alkylamines. Among antihistamines, piperazines are the most frequent inducers of hypersensitivity.1 Immediate hypersensitivity as cases of urticaria or anaphylaxis are usually reported but delayed reactions are also possible.

Background and objectives Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been associated with AKI. Their association with nephrotic syndrome has not been systematically studied. This study aimed to assess the risk of nephrotic syndrome associated with NSAID use. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A matched case-control study was performed in the UK primary care database. Cases were patients with a first diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome and controls were those without nephrotic syndrome. NSAID exposure (grouped either based on cyclooxygenase enzyme selectivity and chemical groups) was classified as either current (use at the nephrotic syndrome diagnosis date and corresponding date in the control group), recent, or past use. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression analysis. Results We included 2620 cases and 10,454 controls. Compared with non-use, current use of 15–28 days and >28 days of conventional NSAIDs was associated with a higher relative risk of nephrotic syndrome: adjusted OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.70, and OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.79 to 2.55, respectively. Also, recent use (discontinuation 1–2 months before nephrotic syndrome diagnosis date; OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.15) and past use (discontinuation 2 months-2 years; OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.43), but not current use of 2 years; OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.09) were associated with a higher relative risk of nephrotic syndrome as well as past use of selective COX-2 inhibitors (discontinuation 2–24 months; OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.58). Categorization based on chemical groups showed that acetic acid and propionic acid derivatives were associated with a higher risk of nephrotic syndrome. Conclusions The use of conventional NSAIDs was associated with a higher risk of nephrotic syndrome starting from at least 2 weeks of exposure, as well as for recent and past exposure up to 2 years before the diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome. This higher risk appeared mainly attributable to acetic acid and propionic acid derivatives.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are useful for radiotherapy. Currently, efforts are underway globally for the development of novel titanium dioxide NPs (TiO2-NPs) that exhibit both contrast effects and anti-tumor effects. In this study, the image contrast properties of TiO2-NPs were evaluated using a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and a clinical computed tomography (CT) scanner, as the use of TiO2-NPs as an anti-cancer agent has been reported in several reports. An obvious difference in visualization was observed between the control and TiO2-NP samples on T2-weighted images. These results suggest that TiO2 can potentially be used as a novel theranostic drug with radiosensitizing ability and radiological diagnostic ability, through modification of chemical groups on its surface, and as a component of drug delivery systems.

Імуносупресивні лікарські засоби (імуносупресори) – це препарати різних фармакологічних і хімічних груп, які пригнічують імунологічні реакції організму. Імуносупресори призначають для лікування тяжких аутоімунних захворювань і пригнічення реакції відторгнення трансплантату.Метою роботи стало дослідження асортименту та обсягів споживання iмуносупресорiв на фармацевтичному ринку України за 2014-2016 роки.Матеріали та методи. Аналіз ринку та розрахунок об’ємів споживання імуносупресорів проводили за показником DDDs/1000 жителів/день або DID.Результати. Впродовж 2014–2016 років імуносупресори були представлені на ринку від 44 до 51 ТН на основі 14 МНН переважно іноземних виробників (90 %). Переважна частка асортименту лікарських засобів на ринку належала метотрексату (27-24 %) та циклоспорину (23-20 %). Ціни на препарати варіювали в широкому діапазоні, але з кожним роком зростали. Загальне споживання препаратів було дуже низьким та становило відповідно 0,23 DID (2014 р.); 0,33 DID (2015 р.); 0,30 DID (2016 р.). Найбільші показники споживання встановлені для препаратів метотрексату, що пов’язано з його порівняно невисокою вартістю, значною кількістю генеричних засобів, доведеною ефективністю при ревматичних та онкозахворюваннях.Висновки. На українському фармацевтичному ринку представлений достатній асортимент імуносупресивних засобів. Показники обсягів споживання імуносупресорів в цілому досить низькі, що може бути пов’язано зі значною вартістю лікування препаратами даної групи., Immunosuppressive drugs (immunosuppressants) are drugs of various pharmacological and chemical groups suppressing immunological reactions in the body. Immunosuppressants are prescribed for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and inhibition of the graft rejection reaction.Aim. To study the range and consumption of immunosuppressants on the pharmaceutical market ofUkraine for 2014-2016.Materials and methods. The calculation of immunosuppressants consumption was carried out according to DDDs/1000 inhabitants/day or DID.Results. During 2014-2016 immunosuppressants were represented on the market from 44 to 51 TN based on 14INN predominantly foreign manufacturers (90 %). The vast majority range of immunosuppressants on the market belonged to methotrexate (27-24 %) and cyclosporine (23-20 %). The drugs prices varied in a wide range, but increase every year. The total consumption of drugs was low and amounted to 0.23 DID (2014), 0.33 DID (2015), 0.30 DID (2016), respectively. Methotrexate preparations had the highest consumption volumes, which is associated with their relatively low cost, the availability of generic drugs, proven efficacy in rheumatic and oncological diseases.Conclusions. A sufficient assortment of immunosuppressive agents is presented on the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market. The volume indicators of immunosuppressants consumption are generally rather low, which may be caused by significant cost of this drugs group treatment., Иммуносупрессивные лекарственные средства (иммуносупрессоры) – это препараты различных фармакологических и химических групп, которые подавляют иммунологические реакции организма. Иммуносупрессоры назначают для лечения тяжелых аутоиммунных заболеваний и угнетения реакции отторжения трансплантата.Целью работы было исследование ассортимента, социально-экономической доступности и объемов потребления иммуносупрессоров на фармацевтическом рынке Украины за 2014-2016 годы.Материалы и методы. Анализ рынка и расчет объемов потребления иммуносупрессоров проводили по показателю DDDs/1000 жителей/день или DID.Результаты. В течение 2014-2016 гг. иммуносупрессоры были представлены на рынке от 44 до 51 ТН на основе 14 МНН преимущественно иностранных производителей (90 %). Подавляющая часть ассортимента иммуносупрессоров на рынке принадлежала метотрексату (27-24 %) и циклоспорину (23-20 %). Цены на препараты варьировали в широком диапазоне, но с каждым годом росли. Общее потребление препаратов было низким и составило соответственно 0,23 DID (2014), 0,33 DID (2015), 0,30 DID (2016). Наибольшие объемы потребления имели препараты метотрексата, что связано с их сравнительно невысокой стоимостью, наличием генерических средств, доказанной эффективностью при ревматических и онкозаболеваниях.Выводы. На украинском фармацевтическом рынке представлен достаточный ассортимент иммуносупрессивных средств. Показатели объемов потребления иммуносупрессоров в целом достаточно низкие, что может быть связано со значительной стоимостью лечения препаратами данной группы.

The reporting of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) among non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) according to cyclooxygenase (COX) selectivity and chemical groups has not been published yet in one study. This study assessed the reporting frequency of HSRs for NSAIDs based on their relative inhibitory potency towards COX enzymes and chemical groups, including the presence/absence of a functional sulfonamide group, in strata of 5 years after market authorization. A case/non-case study was performed among Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) with NSAIDs as suspected drugs in VigiBase, the WHO spontaneous reporting database. Cases were ICSRs mentioning angioedema and anaphylactic/anaphylactoid shock conditions, while non-cases were ICSRs without HSRs. NSAIDs were categorized into (i) NSAIDs with highly COX-2 selectivity (coxibs), (ii) Non-coxib NSAIDs with COX-2 preference, (iii) NSAIDs with poor selectivity, or (iv) NSAIDs with unknown selectivity. Chemical groups were defined based on the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system and the presence/absence of a functional sulfonamide group. Reporting odds ratios (RORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. We identified 13,229 cases and 106,444 non-cases. In the first 5 years after marketing, poor selectivity NSAIDs and acetic acid derivatives were associated with the highest ROR of HSRs (age- and sex-adjusted ROR 2.12, 95%CI: 1.98-2.28 and ROR 2.21, 95%CI: 1.83-2.66, respectively), all compared to coxibs, and also sulfonamide NSAIDs compared to non-sulfonamide NSAIDs (age- and sex-adjusted ROR 1.38, 95%CI: 1.29-1.47). After the first 5 years of marketing, most of the RORs returned to approximately 1. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Photoactivatable molecules enable ablation of malignant cells under the control of light, yet current agents can be ineffective at early stages of disease when target cells are similar to healthy surrounding tissues. In this work, we describe a chemical platform based on amino-substituted benzoselenadiazoles to build photoactivatable probes that mimic native metabolites as indicators of disease onset and progression. Through a series of synthetic derivatives, we have identified the key chemical groups in the benzoselenadiazole scaffold responsible for its photodynamic activity, and subsequently designed photosensitive metabolic warheads to target cells associated with various diseases, including bacterial infections and cancer. We demonstrate that versatile benzoselenadiazole metabolites can selectively kill pathogenic cells - but not healthy cells - with high precision after exposure to non-toxic visible light, reducing any potential side effects in vivo. This chemical platform provides powerful tools to exploit cellular metabolic signatures for safer therapeutic and surgical approaches., Metabolites can distinguish pathogenic from healthy cells, but they are hard to couple to current photosensitizers without altering their biological activity. Here the authors design a new family of photosensitizers that retain metabolite function to target pathogenic cells and ablate them by photodynamic therapy.

Eye irritation is a key human health endpoint assessed by in vitro and in vivo methods. One of the commonly used scoring methods to quantify the eye irritation potential of chemicals is the Modified Maximum Average Score (MMAS). It is dependent on the eye irritation effects (e.g. corneal opacity) originally proposed by Draize and then partially adopted by the OECD TG 405. These scores are not always fully reported in regulatory dossiers and lead to several drawbacks, 1) the difficulty to translate MMAS into a classification within the existing EU CLP/UN GHS criteria, 2) the absence of corrosion (serious eye damage), and 3) the dependency on input parameters which are usually not required under the OECD TGs (e.g. eye surface area). This study determined if classification can be driven by a maximum of two observed effects thereby simplifying the scoring calculation. The Simplified Irritation Index (SIIEYE), based only on corneal opacity and conjunctival redness, was developed using validated studies representing multiple chemical groups. A correlation was observed between the MMAS and the SIIEYE allowing harmonisation of the classification for the existing data. This index proved to be useful in the development of in silico model.

Pesticides are probably one of the chemical groups of compounds most widely studied and regulated worldwide. Despite the advances in agricultural practices that have taken place especially during the last years, the truth is that they are still being used in high amounts nearly in every country around the globe for different purposes. Their effects on human health have brought up the need to strictly monitor their presence in a wide variety of samples, especially in foods, to assess the potential hazards for humans and the environment. Of importance is their occurrence in milk or dairy products, as a consequence of their extremely high consumption, but also in pollen, in which it is clear nowadays that they are affecting bee’s presence.

Many harmful effects that can result from chemical biological reactions have been classified in the literature by systems (organs), chemical groups, and types of chemical responses (direct and indirect effects). Such classifications are frequently designed to consider undesirable effects associated with drug therapy, which is the focus of this chapter. This chapter will cover drug-induced toxicities, the intentional administration of drugs for therapeutic effects, and the unintentional toxic effects of drug administration.

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Photo–triggered therapeutic modalities for cancer have attracted enormous attention in recent years due to the easily focused and tuned properties of irradiation light that enable the localized treatment with non–invasive, direct and accurate characteristics. In addition, by using new developed functional nanomaterials, different therapeutic modalities can be integrated into a single platform, and co–therapies with dramatically enhanced anti–cancer ability by synergetic therapeutic effects are obtained. In the view of the fast development of anti–cancer strategy, we present an in–depth review of major breakthroughs in recent advanced functional nanomaterials for photo–triggered therapy. This review first summarizes the organic and inorganic photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT), four kinds of photothermal materials for photothermal therapy (PTT), as well as photo–switchable molecules or photolabile chemical groups bonded materials for chemotherapy. For each part, the therapeutic materials, mechanisms, superiorities and typical representatives are examined extensively. Then, we systematically discuss the optimized multifunctional nanomaterials consist of the above materials for PTT/PDT co–therapy, PTT/chemo co–therapy, PDT/chemo co–therapy and radiotherapy–composed co–therapy etc. And the synergetic therapeutic mechanism, anti–cancer efficiency, safety and design of therapeutic materials are highlighted. Finally, we give an outlook of the future directions of the rapidly growing functional nanomaterials for photo–triggered therapy, and propose several associated challenges and potential solutions.

In vivo, cells are located in a dynamic, three-dimensional (3D) cell microenvironment, and various biomaterials have been used to engineer 3D cell microenvironments in vitro to study the effects of the cell microenvironment on the regulation of cell fate. However, conventional hydrogels can only mimic the static cell microenvironment without any synchronous regulations. Therefore, novel hydrogels that are capable of responding to specific stimuli (e.g., light, temperature, pH, and magnetic and electrical stimulations) have emerged as versatile platforms to precisely mimic the dynamic native 3D cell microenvironment. Among these novel hydrogels, photoresponsive hydrogels (PRHs) that are capable of changing their physical and chemical properties after exposure to light irradiation enable the dynamic, native cell microenvironment to be mimicked and show great promise in deciphering the unknown mechanisms of the 3D cell microenvironment in regulating the cell fate. Several reviews have already summarized the advances of PRHs and have focused on specific photosensitive chemical groups and photoresponsive elements or on the reaction categories and mechanism of PRHs. However, a holistic view of novel PRHs, which highlights the multiple physical and chemical properties that can be tuned by remote light activation, as well as their applications in engineering a dynamic cell microenvironment for the regulation of cell behaviors in vitro is still missing and is the focus of this review.

Fil: Ferré, Daniela Marisol. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza. Mendoza, Argentina. Fil: Quero, Martín. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Mendoza, Argentina. Fil: Hynes, Valentina. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza. Mendoza, Argentina. Fil: Saldeña, Eliana. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza. Mendoza, Argentina. Fil: Lentini, Valeria. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza. Mendoza, Argentina. Fil: Tornello, Marcelo. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza. Mendoza, Argentina. Fil: Carracedo, Rocío. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza. Mendoza, Argentina. Fil: Gorla, Nora Bibiana María. Universidad Juan Agustín Maza. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Mendoza, Argentina. ARTÍCULO PUBLICADO EN REVISTA EXTERNA. La aplicación de plaguicidas es una práctica habitual en agricultura. Una alta proporción de estos productos están asociados con la generación de daño genético. Los tipos de plaguicidas, modos de aplicación y cantidad de elementos de protección personal usados varían entre regiones, lo que impide transferir en forma directa, la evidencia de genotoxicidad que se hubiese detectado en los trabajadores de otras zonas geográficas. En esta investigación, se estudió el nivel de daño genético en personas que han aplicado plaguicidas agrícolas en las plantaciones frutales de Mendoza, Argentina, durante los últimos 15 ± 3.15 años. Se utilizó la prueba de micronúcleos citoma bucal. Cuarenta personas participaron en el estudio incluyendo los trabajadores agrícolas y el grupo de referencia. Los trabajadores que utilizaron plaguicidas en sus prácticas agrícolas habituales mostraron una frecuencia de células micronucleadas (p ≤ 0.01), brotes nucleares y células binucleadas (p ≤ 0.05) mayores a las que presentó el grupo de referencia. El 65 % de los trabajadores han utilizado entre uno y tres elementos de protección personal, mientras que 70 % han aplicado plaguicidas mediante un turbo dispersor. La información sobre los elementos de protección personal, así como la maquinaria utilizada debería ser registrada como parte de la información básica para así, poder comparar los resultados con los de otras regiones. Las anomalías detectadas no presentaron una asociación estadística con los tipos de prácticas agrícolas ni con el género, edad, hábito de fumar, uso de medicación en forma crónica de los participantes. Los biomarcadores de genotoxicidad que muestran aumentos estadísticamente significativos en el grupo expuesto pueden ayudar a comprender los presentes y futuros problemas de salud en este grupo. Sitio de la revista: http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0188-49992018000100023

Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease. Early diagnosis of this disease can support treatment and reduce the effects of pathophysiological processes. A significant problem in the diagnosis of glaucoma is limited access to the tested material. Therefore, intensive research is underway to develop biomarkers for fast, noninvasive, and reliable testing. Biomarkers indicated in the formation of glaucoma include chemical compounds from different chemical groups, such as proteins, sugars, and lipids. This review summarizes our knowledge about protein and/or their protein-like derived biomarkers used for glaucoma diagnosis since 2000. The described possibilities resulting from a biomarker search may contribute to identifying a group of compounds strongly correlated with glaucoma development. Such a find would be of great importance in the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder, as current screening techniques have low sensitivity and are unable to diagnose early primary open-angle glaucoma.

Several natural products (NPs) have displayed varying in vitro activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, few of these compounds have not been developed into potential antimicrobial drug candidates. This may be due to the high cost and tedious and time-consuming process of conducting the necessary preclinical tests on these compounds. In this study, cheminformatic profiling was performed on 111 anti-MRSA NPs (AMNPs), using a few orally administered conventional drugs for MRSA (CDs) as reference, to identify compounds with prospects to become drug candidates. This was followed by prioritizing these hits and identifying the liabilities among the AMNPs for possible optimization. Cheminformatic profiling revealed that most of the AMNPs were within the required drug-like region of the investigated properties. For example, more than 76% of the AMNPs showed compliance with the&nbsp, Lipinski, Veber, and Egan predictive rules for oral absorption and permeability. About 34% of the AMNPs showed the prospect to penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB), an advantage over the CDs, which are generally non-permeant of BBB. The analysis of toxicity revealed that 59% of the AMNPs might have negligible or no toxicity risks. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed chemical groups that may be determinants of the reported bioactivity of the compounds. A hit prioritization strategy using a novel “desirability scoring function” was able to identify AMNPs with the desired drug-likeness. Hit optimization strategies implemented on AMNPs with poor desirability scores led to the design of two compounds with improved desirability scores.

This study evaluates the effect of an iron precursor incorporation (50 ppm and 1500 ppm by weight) into a commercial diesel and a laboratory-prepared diesel surrogate, not only in the in situ soot reduction capacity, but also, in the physicochemical characteristics and reactivity of this carbonaceous material towards oxidation. The in situ soot reduction capacity measurements and the Fe-containing soot sample collection for after-treatment tests were performed in a drop-tube like reactor placed inside of a vertically tubular furnace operated at 900 °C. The results indicate that as the iron content in fuel increases, the in situ soot reduction capacity increases up to 50% for commercial diesel and 42% for the diesel surrogate. However, although the soot particles collected on filters did not show significantly changes in the main chemical groups due to the fuel additive incorporation, the graphitization degree among samples differ, being structurally more ordered the soot particles from pure fuels than tho...

The purpose of this article was to perform a systematic review of the recent literature on urethral tissue engineering. A total of 31 articles describing the use of tissue engineering for urethra reconstruction were included. The obtained results were discussed in three groups: cells, scaffolds, and clinical results of urethral reconstructions using these components. Stem cells of different origin were used in many experimental studies, but only autologous urothelial cells, fibroblasts, and keratinocytes were applied in clinical trials. Natural and synthetic scaffolds were studied in the context of urethral tissue engineering. The main advantage of synthetic ones is the fact that they can be obtained in unlimited amount and modified by different techniques, but scaffolds of natural origin normally contain chemical groups and bioactive proteins which increase the cell attachment and may promote the cell proliferation and differentiation. The most promising are smart scaffolds delivering different bioactive molecules or those that can be tubularized. In two clinical trials, only onlay-fashioned transplants were used for urethral reconstruction. However, the very promising results were obtained from animal studies where tubularized scaffolds, both non-seeded and cell-seeded, were applied. Impact statement The main goal of this article was to perform a systematic review of the recent literature on urethral tissue engineering. It summarizes the most recent information about cells, seeded or non-seeded scaffolds and clinical application with respect to regeneration of urethra.

The data on historical development and modern design approaches for calcium channels blockers (mainly L-type) are summarized in this review. Chemical groups such as dihydropyridine and hydropyrimidine derivatives, as well as phenylalkylamines and benzothiazepines are discussed.

Deposition of different chemical groups onto RNA generates diverse RNA modifications. All types of prokaryotic and eukaryotic RNA can undergo modifications. For example, methylation of the adenosine bases at the nitrogen-6 or nitrogen-1 position generates N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and N1

To prevent the speeding on the nosocomial TB this are widely used chemical disinfectants. Aim: Estimation of resistance of Mtb different genotypes to disinfectants. Material and Methods: 30 multidrug-resistant cultures of Mtb: 10 isolates each of genotypes Beijing, LAM, Ural, isolated from patients. Disinfectants: solutions of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) with a concentration of active substance: 0.075-0.26%; solutions of hydrogen peroxide with peracid with a concentration of active substance: 0.05-1.1%. Mtb resistance to disinfectants was estimated following the UNE-EN 14348 standard and tissue test-object method (exposition time: 60 minutes). According to guidelines, the disinfectant is effective when ≥105-fold reduction (5 log10) occurs in the number of mycobacterium in the case of basic mycobactericidal activity. Results: Mycobactericidal activity for each of genotypes was obtained after contact of QACs with a concentration 0,26% (p Conclusions: The greatest resistance to QACs was observed on Ural and Lam genotypes. Beijing genotype showed the lowest resistance. To hydrogen peroxide with peracid the greatest resistance was observed on Ural and Beijing genotypes. Lam genotype showed the lowest resistance. Although, mycobactericidal activity was detected in both tested disinfectants, Mtb of different genotypes has different levels of resistance to various chemical groups of disinfectants.

Chemical groups of microenvironment play an important role in the adhesion, proliferation, and apoptosis of tumor cells. The different chemical groups (CH3 , OH, COOH) were grafted on the surfaces with the same density by self-assembly monolayer (SAM) technique to introduce the influence of different microenvironments of the human bladder cancer (5637) cells. The results indicated that the 5637 cells on COOH surface exhibited the lowest proliferation rate and the highest apoptosis rate on the first and fifth day because of negative charge and polarity of the COOH group, which might help optimize biomedicine materials and find new methods to treat bladder cancer.

The technological complex of veterinary-sanitary and organization-economic arrangements, conducted for prophylaxis and fight against infectious diseases inevitably includes disinfection, directed on inactivation of pathogenic agents in the environment. At applying new disinfectants in practice in the whole structure of the technological process of animal husbandry products, it is necessary to determine their sensitivity to the circulating microflora. The aim of the study was to establish the effectiveness of using new disinfecting preparations of different chemical groups and to determine regimes of their application in the whole complex of anti-epizootic prophylactic arrangements. Disinfecting preparations “Hermicidan FF plus”, “Peroxan forte”, “Viro-xal” were used in experiments. The quality of the conducted disinfection was controlled by separation of sanitary-representative microorganisms – bacteria of the colon bacillus group. It has been established, that the disinfecting preparations “Hermicidan FF plus”, “Peroxan forte”, “Viro-xal” have bactericidal properties relative to the sanitary-representative microorganisms and can be used in the general complex of sanitary-hygienic arrangements. The disinfectant “Hermicidan FF plus” has bactericidal properties in concentration 0,5 % at exposition 1 hour, preparation “Peroxan Forte” is effective at using in concentration 1,0 % at exposition 1 hour, and the disinfecting means “Viro xal” acts bactericidially in concentration 1,0 % at exposition 3 hours. For today the question of search for new technological, high-effective disinfecting preparations that correspond to existent requirements of biological safety and protection remains urgent.

The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF) was requested to evaluate 54 flavouring substances attributed to the Flavouring Group Evaluation 05 (FGE.05), using the Procedure as referred to in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. This Revision 3 includes 17 additional substances which have been cleared with respect to genotoxicity in FGE.200Rev1 ([FL‐no: 02.192, 02.231, 05.072, 05.144, 05.184, 05.189, 05.190, 05.191, 05.195, 09.247, 09.400, 09.866, 09.948]) and in FGE.203Rev2 ([FL‐no: 05.081, 05.186, 05.194, 05.196]). The substances were evaluated through a stepwise approach that integrates information on the structure–activity relationships, intake from current uses, toxicological threshold of concern (TTC), and available data on metabolism and toxicity. The Panel concluded that none of the 54 substances gives rise to safety concern at their levels of dietary intake, estimated on the basis of the ‘Maximised Survey‐derived Daily Intake’ (MSDI) approach. Besides the safety assessment of the flavouring substances, the specifications for the materials of commerce have also been considered and found adequate, except for 10 substances ([FL‐no: 08.072, 08.083, 08.101, 08.119, 08.120, 09.181, 09.329, 09.335, 09.379 and 09.637]) for which quantitative figures on the composition of stereoisomeric mixtures are missing and for [FL‐no: 09.578] complete specifications should be provided. Normal and maximum use levels were not available for [FL‐no: 08.072, 08.083, 08.101, 08.119, 08.120, 09.287, 09.326 and 09.578]. Except for flavouring substances [FL‐no: 05.072, 05.081, 05.186, 05.194, 05.196, 09.934 and 09.942], more reliable intake data should be requested for all the 46 flavouring substances, for which use levels were submitted, as their modified Theoretical Added Maximum Daily Intake (mTAMDI) exposure estimates are above the threshold of concern for structural classes I and II. This would include more reliable intake data and then, if required, additional toxicological data.

Polymeric excipients are crucial ingredients in modern pills, increasing the therapeutic bioavailability, safety, stability, and accessibility of lifesaving products to combat diseases in developed and developing countries worldwide. Because many early-pipeline drugs are clinically intractable due to hydrophobicity and crystallinity, new solubilizing excipients can reposition successful and even failed compounds to more effective and inexpensive oral formulations. With assistance from high-throughput controlled polymerization and screening tools, we employed a strategic, molecular evolution approach to systematically modulate designer excipients based on the cyclic imide chemical groups of an important (yet relatively insoluble) drug phenytoin. In these acrylamide- and methacrylate-containing polymers, a synthon approach was employed: one monomer served as a precipitation inhibitor for phenytoin recrystallization, while the comonomer provided hydrophilicity. Systems that maintained drug supersaturation in amorphous solid dispersions were identified with molecular-level understanding of noncovalent interactions using NOESY and DOSY NMR spectroscopy. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (poly(NIPAm-co-DMA)) at 70 mol % NIPAm exhibited the highest drug solubilization, in which phenytoin associated with inhibiting NIPAm units only with lowered diffusivity in solution. In vitro dissolution tests of select spray-dried dispersions corroborated the screening trends between polymer chemical composition and solubilization performance, where the best NIPAm/DMA polymer elevated the mean area-under-the-dissolution-curve by 21 times its crystalline state at 10 wt % drug loading. When administered to rats for pharmacokinetic evaluation, the same leading poly(NIPAm-co-DMA) formulation tripled the oral bioavailability compared to a leading commercial excipient, HPMCAS, and translated to a remarkable 23-fold improvement over crystalline phenytoin., We identify a polymer discovery paradigm to complement oral drug discovery efforts. Rapid chemistry, screening, and in vitro−in vivo testing of optimal solubilizing polymers can translate otherwise-insoluble drugs into widely-accessible medicines.

In 2010, 81 confirmed cases of Salmonella Typhimurium DT8 were reported across England and Northern Ireland - an increase of 26% from 2009 and 41% since 2008. Five cases were hospitalized and one death reported, with a strong association found between cases and the consumption of duck eggs. Once present on farms, Salmonella may become persistent and can survive for long periods of time in residual organic matter, increasing risk of infection for follow-on flocks if cleaning and disinfection is not carried out effectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a range of disinfectants used by the duck industry against Salmonella using laboratory models. Sixteen products were selected from seven chemical groups and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations determined. Each product was also tested at the recommended general orders (GO) concentration using a faecal suspension model to mimic boot dips and a surface contamination model to simulate contaminated building fabric and equipment. In the faecal suspension model, all products were effective at 2 × GO concentration, and activity was more inconsistent at GO concentration. At 0.5 × GO concentration, iodine-based and quaternary-ammonium-compound-based products were significantly less effective than products within other chemical groups (P 0.001). Glutaraldehyde-based products were significantly more effective than the other products in the surface contamination tests (P 0.001). Chlorocresol-based products were found to be most effective for use in boot dips and aldehyde-based products for surface disinfection, although there was variability between products within a chemical group.

Surface chemistry and substrate topography could contribute significantly to providing a biochemical and topographical cues for governing the fate of cells on the cell-material interface. However, the synergies between these two properties have not been exploited extensively for biomaterial design. Herein, we achieved spatial-controlled patterning of chemical groups on the poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) surface by elegant UV-nanoimprint lithography (UN-NIL). The introduction of chemical groups on the PCL surface was developed by our newly 6-benzyloxycarbonylmethyl-ε-caprolactone (BCL) monomer, which not only solved the lack of functional groups along the PCL chain but also retained the original favorable properties of PCL materials. The synergetic effect of the chemical groups and nanopatterns on the human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) behaviors was evaluated in detail. The results revealed that the patterned functional PCL surfaces could induce enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation, further trigger changes in HFFs morphology, orientation and collagen secretion. Taken together, this study provided a method for straightforward fabrication of reactive PCL surfaces with topographic patterns by one-step process, and they would facilitate PCL as potential candidate for cell cultivation and tissue engineering.

This paper evaluates use of the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach to assess safety of botanical preparations that may contain potentially genotoxic constituents, based on estimation of the fraction that may be genotoxic. A database of 107 chemical constituents of botanicals was compiled and their potential for genotoxicity evaluated from published data. Forty-three constituents met the criteria for potential genotoxicity. Concentration data on their occurrence in plants provided 2878 data points; the majority were in the low ppm level (range 0.00001–139,965 ppm, by dry weight). Weibull models of the quantitative distribution data were used to calculate 95th percentile values for chemical concentrations, analysing the dataset according to their presence in botanicals (i) as a single chemical, (ii) as two or more chemicals from the same chemical group, or (iii) as two or more chemicals from different chemical groups. The highest 95th percentile concentration value from these analyses was 1.8%. Using the TTC value of 0.15 μg/person per day for potentially genotoxic substances proposed in 2004, this value of 1.8% was used to derive an adjusted TTC value of 10 μg of plant material on a dry weight basis/person per day for assessment of potentially genotoxic substances in botanicals.

A new way for prognosis of bladder cancer (BC) is to control the BC microenvironment by chemical groups. The self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surfaces with methyl (–CH3), hydroxyl (–OH) and carboxyl (–COOH) groups were prepared to control the UMUC-3 cells. The results indicated that all three kinds of chemical groups influenced the adhesion and the proliferation of UMUC-3 cells, and the apoptosis rate of UMUC-3 cells was the highest on the –CH3 surface, which inhibited the proliferation of UMUC-3 cells.

Introduction Exposure to chemicals occurs in a wide range of professional fields. Chemicals typically induce delayed, cell-mediated sensitisation, but some chemical agents are able to induce immediate-type allergy. The mechanisms of immediate sensitisation to chemicals are still mainly unknown, but specific IgE seems to play a role, at least for some chemical groups. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic procedures of occupational immediate allergic diseases caused by chemicals and assess the feasibility of skin testing in the diagnostics. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the patient files of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health for the period of 1991–2011 to find patients diagnosed with immediate sensitisation to chemicals. We collected data on occupation, exposure, work-related symptoms, clinical and immunological test results, and occupational allergic diseases. Results Positive skin prick tests (SPT) were noted for organic acid anhydrides, diisocyanates, persulfates, epoxy resin, chlorhexidine and aziridine. Amine hardeners and formaldehyde induced multiple small indifferent reactions. For several other groups of chemicals sporadic or no positive SPTs were noted. Occupational contact urticaria (CU) caused by chemicals was diagnosed in 41 patients during the study period, 21 of them caused by acid anhydrides. More than half of the CU patients (54%) had a concomitant allergic airway disease. Discussion SPTs provide a fast and safe complementary tool for diagnosing immediate allergic diseases to some chemical groups, but the results should be interpreted cautiously and related to symptoms and other clinical tests. Occupational CU caused by chemicals is often accompanied by occupational airway diseases caused by the same agent.

In the present work, an electrospun nanofibrous textile composed of polyurethane (PU), sodium bicarbonate ( $$\hbox {NaHCO}_{3}$$ ) and pantothenic acid (PA) is developed for treating chronic wounds. Wounds are a common health problem and in particular, the chronic wounds such as vascular ulcers, diabetic ulcers and pressure ulcers cause a large number of morbidity and mortality. The main problems of the chronic wounds are prolonged inflammation phase and presence of acidic environment. These events deactivate the operation of growth factors and also the progression of natural healing mechanism. Hence, various types of advanced textile-based dressings are developed to address the clinical complications associated with chronic wound management. The prepared electrospun scaffolds were characterized to study their physicochemical and haemocompatible properties. The scanning electron microscopy micrographs depicted continuous, smooth-interconnected nanofibrous morphology of PU–NaHCO $$_{3}$$ –PA scaffolds. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra indicated the addition of NaHCO $$_{3}$$ and PA-based hydrophilic chemical groups, which significantly enhanced the wettability of the composites. Further, the PU–NaHCO $$_{3}$$ –PA composite membrane inferred to have a highly porous structure with the mean porosity of 79.4 ± 4.8%, which may provide a conducive environment for adherence and proliferation of skin cells. The composite scaffold also offers a highly haemocompatible surface by delaying coagulation of blood through contact activation pathways and by limiting red blood cells damage. Therefore, the excellent physicochemical properties, blood compatibility and the delivery of PA are anticipated to speed up the impaired healing process of chronic wounds.

Natural products with antispasmodic activity have been used in traditional medicine to alleviate different illnesses since the remote past. We searched the literature and compiled the antispasmodic activity of 248 natural compounds isolated from terrestrial plants. In this review, we summarized all the natural products reported with antispasmodic activity until the end of 2017. We also provided chemical information about their extraction as well as the model used to test their activities. Results showed that members of the Lamiaceae and Asteraceae families had the highest number of isolated compounds with antispasmodic activity. Moreover, monoterpenoids, flavonoids, triterpenes, and alkaloids were the chemical groups with the highest number of antispasmodic compounds. Lastly, a structural comparison of natural versus synthetic compounds was discussed.

The function of histone proteins can be modified through addition or removal of certain chemical groups. The addition of a serotonin molecule is a newly found histone modification that could influence gene expression. A nuclear role for serotonin discovered.

Introduction Electronic cigarettes are gaining in popularity worldwide. However, information about chemical evaluations of refill solutions is very limited. Our study aimed to develop methods and to assess the levels of eight groups of compounds in 55 refill solutions for 17 brands. The eight chemical groups include mono/polyhydric alcohols, tobacco alkaloids, tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), solanesol, phenolic compounds, carbonyl compounds, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Methods Selected compounds were extracted from refill solutions and analyzed with appropriate chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. Results The total mass percentage of propylene glycol and glycerol in most refill solutions ranged from 80%~97%. Triethylene glycol was detected in one sample and menthol was found in 16 samples, including in samples that were not labeled as "mint". The labeled concentrations of nicotine of the 25 samples were not consistent with, and were in most cases lower than the measured concentrations. The concentrations of nicotine in samples that were labeled at the same "strength" (eg, HIGH, MIDDLE, or LOW) differed significantly among brands. Selected groups of compounds including TSNAs, solanesol, VOCs, PAHs, phenolic compounds, and carbonyl compounds were all detectable, with varying levels and detection frequencies. Conclusions A panel of methods were developed and validated and subsequently used to assess the levels of selected groups of compounds in electronic cigarette refill solutions. Propylene glycol and glycerol constituted the major ingredients of most refill solutions. The nicotine content was generally not labeled clearly or accurately. The exposure and health effects on consumers of these impurities, toxicants, or carcinogens should be further evaluated. Implications Our study have developed methods and assessed the levels of eight groups of compounds in 55 refill solutions for 17 brands in the Chinese market. Our study shows that propylene glycol and glycerol constitute the major ingredients of most refill solutions, and also indicated the necessity for clearly and accurately labeling nicotine content of e-liquids. Compounds that may originate from tobacco, solvents or other sources, such as TSNAs, solanesol, VOCs, PAHs, phenolic compounds, and carbonyl compounds were all found with different levels and detection frequencies.

The term cancer represents a set of more than 100 diseases that are caused due to an uncontrolled growth of cells; and their subsequent spread to the other tissues and organs of the body by a phenomenon, called ‘metastasis’. According to the estimates provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is expected to account for about 10 million deaths per year by 2020 and 21 million cancer cases, which may lead to 13 million deaths by 2030, making cancer as the cause of highest mortality in contrast to other diseases. The search for potential therapeutics against cancer, which can reduce the side-effects that occur due to the difficulty of recognition between cancerous and normal cells, has ever been increased. In this view, nanotechnology, especially metallic nanoparticles (MNPs), comes to aid in the development of novel therapeutic agents, which may be synthesized or modified with the most diverse functional chemical groups; this property makes the metallic nanoparticles suitable for conjugation with already known drugs or prospective drug candidates. The biocompatibility, relatively simple synthesis, size flexibility and easy chemical modification of its surface, all make the metallic nanoparticles highly advantageous for opportune diagnosis and therapy of cancer. The present article analyzes and reports the anti-tumor activities of 78 papers of various metallic nanoparticles, particularly the ones containing copper, gold, iron, silver and titanium in their composition.

ObjectiveTo investigate if case fatality and other indicators of severity of human pesticide poisonings can be used to prioritize pesticides of public health concern. To study the heterogeneity of data across countries, cause of poisonings, and treatment facilities.MethodsWe searched literature databases as well as the internet for studies on case-fatality and severity scores of pesticide poisoning. Studies published between 1990 and 2014 providing information on active ingredients in pesticides or chemical groups of active ingredients were included. The variability of case-fatality-ratios was analyzed by computing the coefficient of variation as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean.FindingsWe identified 145 studies of which 67 could be included after assessment. Case-fatality-ratio (CFR) on 68 active ingredients and additionally on 13 groups of active ingredients were reported from 20 countries. Mean CFR for group of pesticides is 12 %, for single pesticides 15 %. Of those 12 active ingredients with a CFR above 20 % only two are WHO-classified as “extremely hazardous” or “highly hazardous”, respectively. Two of seven pesticides considered “unlikely to present hazard in normal use” show CFR above 20 %. The variability of reported case fatality was rather low.ConclusionAlthough human pesticide poisoning is a serious public health problem an unexpected small number of publications report on the clinical outcomes. However, CFR of acute human pesticide poisoning are available for several groups of pesticides as well as for active ingredients and show little variability. Therefore the CFR might be utilized to prioritize highly hazardous pesticides especially since there is limited correspondence between the animal-test-based hazard classification and the human CFR of the respective pesticide. Reporting of available poisoning data should be improved, human case-fatality data are a reasonable tool to be included systematically in pesticide registration and regulation.

The dietary supplements with claimed antioxidant activity constitute a substantial part of the dietary supplement market. In this study, we performed the LC-QTOF-MS analysis and investigated the activity profiles of popular antioxidant dietary supplements from different chemical groups in terms of quality control. The commonly used antioxidant tests and statistical analysis revealed that substantial part of the results was comparable if 1 g sample was considered, but while comparing single and daily doses, significant differences in antioxidant values were noticed in all assays. The best antioxidant activity was obtained in ORAC assay (from 142 to 13814 μM of Trolox equivalents per 1 g of sample), and the strongest correlation occurred between TPC and ORAC. The LC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed that catechins were present in samples having the best antioxidant activity and that dietary supplements showing the weakest activity contained very small amount of any chemical constituents.

In the present paper, we have studied human IgG in Alzheimer’s disease(AD) using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A comparison with normal controls is also made. NMR spectroscopy is a powerful tool to detect the chemical groups of amino acids in serum. According to data available with the present study we are giving some of the findings related to AD patients. A group Aspartic acid (a-CH) is found in four cases only of AD patients and this group was absent in all the normal healthy persons. The group isoleucine (d-CH 3 ) has been found in all the blood samples of normal persons and AD patients. Glutamic acid (a-CH) is found in two cases of AD patients and was absent in all the normal persons and other patients of AD. Alanine (b-CH) is found in two cases of normal healthy people and four cases of AD patients only. Asparatic acid (a-CH) is found in four cases of AD patients only and absent in all the normal healthy people. Lysine ( g-CH 2 ) is found in one case of AD patient only and absent in all the normal healthy controls along AD patients. Isoleuicine (g- CH 3 ) has been found in three cases of AD patients only and four normal healthy people. Cystine (a-CH) and Cystine (b-CH) have been found in two cases of AD patients only and absent in all the normals with AD patients. Tryptophane (a-CH) is found in two sample of AD patient only and absent in all the cases of AD and normal healthy people . The appearance or disappearance of NMR groups may be changes in the CNS due to alteration in trace elements and immunity

Nature combines existing biochemical building blocks, at times with subtlety of purpose. RNA modifications are a prime example of this, where standard RNA nucleosides are decorated with chemical groups and building blocks that we recall from our basic biochemistry lectures. The result: a wealth of chemical diversity whose full biological relevance has remained elusive despite being public knowledge for some time. Here, we will highlight a number of modifications that, because of their chemical intricacy, rely on seemingly unrelated pathways to provide co-factors for their synthesis. Besides their immediate role in affecting RNA function, modifications may act as sensors and transducers of information that connect a cell's metabolic state to its translational output, carefully orchestrating a delicate balance between metabolic rate and protein synthesis at a system's level.

O uso de inseticidas mais toxicos para uma praga do que a saude natural pode favorecer o salvamento desses organismos beneficos. Este estudo teve como objetivos fisiologicos distanciadores de inseticidas de separacoes cientificas para Vespidae Protonectarina sylveirae (Saussure, 1854) e Brachygastra lecheguana. (Latterille, 1824) e espessura de cuticula para avaliacao da tolerância entre os 2 anos estes mesmos inseticidas. Como imersas foram folhas de milho (10 x 10 cm) em solucao inseticida em dose (100%), subdose (50%) e agua destilada (controle) por 5 segundos. Nos podemos ler as folhas e depois embalamos em placas de Petri. Como 20 vespas, por placa, receberam 10% de mel e as placas foram fechadas com tecido de organza fino e elastificadas. Apos 24 horas, avaliamos uma porcentagem de vespas mortas. O inseticida alfa-cipermetrina foi altamente toxico para P. sylveirae e B. lecheguana em dose (100%) e subdose (50%). Os inseticidas Novaluron, chlorantraniliprole, spinosad e indoxacarb foram pouco toxicos para P. sylveirae e B. lecheguana. dose (100%) e subdose (50%). A alta toxicidade dos inseticidas metomil + novalurom, clorantraniliprole + lambda-cialotrina e deltametrina a P. sylveirae corresponde a menor espessura da cuticula. Portanto, os inseticidas novalurom, clorantraniliprole, spinosad e indoxacarb da selectividade fisiologica para P. sylveirae e B. lecheguana .