-
Journal of Medical Toxicology :... Jul 2023Activated charcoal is a decontaminating agent used for acute intoxication. It can be mixed with taste additives to overcome its poor palatability. Our purpose was to... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Activated charcoal is a decontaminating agent used for acute intoxication. It can be mixed with taste additives to overcome its poor palatability. Our purpose was to evaluate the taste additives used to improve activated charcoal's palatability.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of comparative studies on taste additives used to improve activated charcoal's palatability. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and CINAHL. We included controlled trials and observational studies that evaluate the effect of at least one taste additive, compared with activated charcoal alone. Our primary outcome was palatability. Our secondary outcomes included treatment adherence, adsorption efficacy, and adverse events. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies.
RESULTS
Among 38 eligible articles, seven observational studies and three crossover clinical trials met our inclusion criteria. The risk of bias was found to be high for seven studies and intermediate for three others. The preferred flavoring agents were cola and chocolate milk for children, and sweetening agents for adults. All taste additives studied seemed to improve activated charcoal's palatability, except for yogurt (n = 1). The addition of bentonite, sorbitol, carboxymethylcellulose, or yogurt showed no impact on the in-vivo adsorption capacity of activated charcoal, whereas the results were inconclusive for chocolate. No meta-analysis was performed due to insufficient data.
CONCLUSION
Strategies to improve activated charcoal's palatability seem to enhance the taste. Descriptive data are in favor of a limited impact on activated charcoal's adsorption capacity when adding binding agents or sweeteners.
TRIAL REGISTRATION ON PROSPERO
This review is registered as PROSPERO CRD42019135092.
Topics: Child; Adult; Humans; Charcoal; Taste; Flavoring Agents; Sorbitol
PubMed: 37000410
DOI: 10.1007/s13181-023-00934-6 -
Iranian Journal of Public Health Jan 2023Selenium (Se) is an essential element playing a vital role in the metabolism of organisms. Se can generally be discharged in the potable water through natural and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Selenium (Se) is an essential element playing a vital role in the metabolism of organisms. Se can generally be discharged in the potable water through natural and anthropogenic activities. Both excess and shortage of Se can cause significant adverse health effects in humans. Excess values of se may toxicity, leading to selenosis and alkali disease in humans and grazing animals, respectively.
METHODS
A review search was systematically carried out from the databases Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed Central (PMC), Google Scholar, as well as medRxiv by using the following keywords: "waste water", "bioremediation", "selenium removal", "adsorption", and "drinking water". This study provides a review of the recent literature covering the period between 2011 and 2021. After screening the full text of the articles, 27 papers were enrolled. This study reviews the reported techniques for Se removal from water and wastewater, including adsorption, biological treatment, microbial reduction, bioreactors, fungal bioreactor, algal treatment, phytoremediation, and photocatalysis.
RESULTS
Biological and bioremediation techniques, such as microbial reduction, biotransformation, and fluidized bed reactor have removal efficiency about 100%. The highest Se concentration of 15-7600 μg/L was achieved in ground waters in Ethiopia and the lowest level of 0.07 μg/L in Finland.
CONCLUSION
The combination of biological treatment with chemical or physical technologies is envisaged to optimize se elimination and to ensure ecological protection and human health safety.
PubMed: 36824240
DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v52i1.11667 -
Bioscience Reports Feb 2023Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary domain of science, technology and engineering that deals with nano-sized materials/particles. Usually, the size of nanoparticles...
Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary domain of science, technology and engineering that deals with nano-sized materials/particles. Usually, the size of nanoparticles lies between 1 and 100 nm. Due to their small size and large surface area-to-volume ratio, nanoparticles exhibit high reactivity, greater stability and adsorption capacity. These important physicochemical properties attract scientific community to utilize them in biomedical field. Various types of nanoparticles (inorganic and organic) have broad applications in medical field ranging from imaging to gene therapy. These are also effective drug carriers. In recent times, nanoparticles are utilized to circumvent different treatment limitations. For example, the ability of nanoparticles to cross the blood-brain barrier and having a certain degree of specificity towards amyloid deposits makes themselves important candidates for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, nanotechnology has been used extensively to overcome several pertinent issues like drug-resistance phenomenon, side effects of conventional drugs and targeted drug delivery issue in leprosy, tuberculosis and cancer. Thus, in this review, the application of different nanoparticles for the treatment of these four important diseases (Alzheimer's disease, tuberculosis, leprosy and cancer) as well as for the effective delivery of drugs used in these diseases has been presented systematically. Although nanoformulations have many advantages over traditional therapeutics for treating these diseases, nanotoxicity is a major concern that has been discussed subsequently. Lastly, we have presented the promising future prospective of nanoparticles as alternative therapeutics. In that section, we have discussed about the futuristic approach(es) that could provide promising candidate(s) for the treatment of these four diseases.
Topics: Humans; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Alzheimer Disease; Nanoparticles; Drug Carriers; Tuberculosis; Neoplasms; Leprosy
PubMed: 36630532
DOI: 10.1042/BSR20220324 -
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces... Jan 2023Small organic molecules have been shown to produce sufficient power densities allowing them to be environmentally friendly renewable fuel sources and an important part...
Small organic molecules have been shown to produce sufficient power densities allowing them to be environmentally friendly renewable fuel sources and an important part of fuel cell research. Affiliated experimental work found propylene glycol, as a source of renewable fuel, produces viable power densities when utilized with an alkaline-acid fuel cell and a Pd(111) catalyst. There is limited theoretical work on propylene glycol's energy reaction pathway. Thus, the first step in understanding how propylene glycol reacts with the Pd(111) slab is understanding its adsorption. In this paper, we present the investigation of adsorption potential energies (APE) of propylene glycol stereoisomers ()-propane-1,2-diol (1,2PGS), ()-propane-1,2-diol (1,2PGR), and propane-1,3-diol (1,3PG) on Pd(111). The isomers are systematically scanned through different configurations to analyze the preferred stable orientation and positional motifs. Density functional theory (DFT) is used to optimize the molecular geometries and surface relaxations. The most stable configuration of the 1,2PG stereoisomers resulted in an APE of -0.97 eV. The most stable configuration of the 1,3PG resulted in an APE of -1.19 eV. Both the 1,2PG(S/R) and 1,3PG isomers favor a motif in which at least one hydroxyl oxygen atom interacts with the surface of the Pd(111) catalyst. The 1,2PG carbon backbone prefers to have the center carbon positioned away from the slab, while the 1,3PG prefers to have the center carbon positioned closer to the slab. The most stable 1,3PG differs from other reported 1,3PG and 1,2PG relaxed configurations in that both of the hydroxyl oxygen atoms interact with the Pd(111) surface. These results show more favorable APEs than previously reported calculations. This paper will discuss in detail the differences between the hydroxyl group motifs and their role in affecting adsorption.
Topics: Adsorption; Carbon; Oxygen; Palladium; Propane; Propylene Glycol; Stereoisomerism
PubMed: 36583559
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02281 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Jan 2023This investigation applied a systematic review approach on publications covering primary data during 2012-2022 with a focus on photocatalytic degradation of pollutants... (Review)
Review
This investigation applied a systematic review approach on publications covering primary data during 2012-2022 with a focus on photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in aqueous solution by composite materials synthesized with biomass and, at least, TiO and/or ZnO semiconductors to form biomass-based composite photocatalysts (BCPs). After applying a set of eligibility criteria, 107 studies including 832 observations/entries were analyzed. The average removal efficiency and degradation kinetic rate reported for all model pollutants and BCPs were 77.5 ± 21.5% and 0.064 ± 0.174 min, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to analyze BCPs synthesis methods, experimental conditions, and BCPs' characteristics correlated with the removal efficiency and photodegradation kinetics. The relevance of adsorption processes on the pollutants' removal efficiency was highlighted by PCA applied to all categories of pollutants (PCA_pol). The PCA applied to textile dyes (PCA_dyes) and pharmaceutical compounds (PCA_pharma) also indicate the influence of variables related to the composite synthesis (i.e., thermal treatment and time spent on BCPs synthesis) and photocatalytic experimental parameters (catalyst concentration, pollutant concentration, and irradiation time) on the degradation kinetic accomplished by BCPs. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis (PCA_pol) revealed that the specific surface area and the narrow band gap are key characteristics for BCPs to serve as a competitive photocatalyst. The effect of scavengers on pollutants' degradation and the recyclability of BCPs are also discussed, as necessary aspects for scalability trends. Further investigations are recommended to compare the performance of BCPs and commercial catalysts, as well as to assess the costs to treat real wastewater.
Topics: Wastewater; Biomass; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Photolysis; Coloring Agents; Catalysis; Titanium
PubMed: 36441319
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24089-z -
The Science of the Total Environment Feb 2023Microplastics (<5 mm) (MPs) are widely distributed throughout the world, and their accumulation and migration in the environment have caused health and safety concerns.... (Review)
Review
Microplastics (<5 mm) (MPs) are widely distributed throughout the world, and their accumulation and migration in the environment have caused health and safety concerns. Currently, most of the reviewed literatures mainly focus on the distribution in various environmental media, adsorption mechanisms with different pollutants, and characterization of MPs. Therefore, the present review mainly highlights the characterization techniques of MPs and the underlying mechanisms of their combination with conventional coexisting substances (heavy metals, organic pollutants, and nutrients). We observed that massive MP pollution has been found in many areas, especially in Africa, Asia, India, South Africa, North America and Europe. The separation methods of MPs in different environmental media are basically similar, including sampling, pre-treatment, flotation, filtration and digestion. The combination of multiple characterization technologies can more precisely identify the shape, abundance, colour, and particle size of MPs. Notably, although recent reports have confirmed that MPs can act as carriers of heavy metals and carry them into organisms to cause harm, MPs have different adsorption and desorption characteristics for various heavy metals. The adsorption capacity of organic pollutants onto MPs is closely related to their hydrophobicity, specific surface area and functional group characteristics. The relative abundance of MPs in sediments and lakes had a significantly positive correlation with the mass concentration of total nitrogen in lake water, but this finding still needs to be further verified. Based on current research, we suggest that future MP research should focus on characterization technology, environmental migration, ecological effects, health risks and degradation methods.
Topics: Microplastics; Plastics; Environmental Pollutants; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Metals, Heavy; South Africa
PubMed: 36423843
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160151 -
Biomolecules Sep 2022This paper aims to review the evidence of the cellular activity on titanium samples exposed to Plasma of Argon (PoA) treatment. A systematic review was carried out based... (Review)
Review
This paper aims to review the evidence of the cellular activity on titanium samples exposed to Plasma of Argon (PoA) treatment. A systematic review was carried out based on the PRISMA statement by searching the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and Scopus, up to October 2020. Papers were selected according to PICOS format that is: Population (P): osteoblasts, fibroblasts, gingival cells; Intervention (I): PoA disinfection treatment; Comparison (C): untreated controls; Outcome (O): cell culture; Setting (S): in vitro assays. The quality assessment was performed according to the CRIS Guidelines (Checklist for Reporting In vitro Studies). A total of 661 articles were found, of which 16 were included. The quality assessment revealed an overall poor quality of the studies analyzed. In vitro studies on the potential of PoA showed a potential effect in promoting higher cell adhesion and protein adsorption in the earliest times (hours). This outcome was not so evident when later stages of cell growth on the surfaces were tested and compared to the control groups. Only one study was conducted in vivo on a human sample regarding abutment cleaning. No meta-analysis was conducted because of the variety of experimental settings, mixed methods and different cell lines studied. PoA seems to be effective in promoting cell adhesion and protein adsorption. The duration of this effect remains unclear. Further evidence is required to demonstrate the long-term efficacy of the treatment and to support the use of PoA treatment in clinical practice.
Topics: Argon; Cell Adhesion; Humans; Osteoblasts; Surface Properties; Titanium
PubMed: 36139059
DOI: 10.3390/biom12091219 -
The Science of the Total Environment Dec 2022Nutrient imbalance (i.e., deficiency and toxicity) of microelements is an outstanding environmental issue that influences each aspect of ecosystems. Although the crucial... (Review)
Review
Nutrient imbalance (i.e., deficiency and toxicity) of microelements is an outstanding environmental issue that influences each aspect of ecosystems. Although the crucial roles of microelements in entire lifecycle of plants have been widely acknowledged, the effective control of microelements is still neglected due to the narrow safe margins. Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans and animals. Although it is not believed to be indispensable for plants, many literatures have reported the significance of Se in terms of the uptake, accumulation, and detoxification of essential microelements in plants. However, most papers only concerned on the antagonistic effect of Se on metal elements in plants and ignored the underlying mechanisms. There is still a lack of systematic review articles to summarize the comprehensive knowledge on the connections between Se and microelements in plants. In this review, we conclude the bidirectional effects of Se on micronutrients in plants, including iron, zinc, copper, manganese, nickel, molybdenum, sodium, chlorine, and boron. The regulatory mechanisms of Se on these micronutrients are also analyzed. Moreover, we further emphasize the role of Se in alleviating element toxicity and adjusting the concentration of micronutrients in plants by altering the soil conditions (e.g., adsorption, pH, and organic matter), promoting microbial activity, participating in vital physiological and metabolic processes, generating element competition, stimulating metal chelation, organelle compartmentalization, and sequestration, improving the antioxidant defense system, and controlling related genes involved in transportation and tolerance. Based on the current understanding of the interaction between Se and these essential elements, future directions for research are suggested.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Selenium; Micronutrients; Manganese; Copper; Molybdenum; Ecosystem; Antioxidants; Nickel; Boron; Chlorine; Trace Elements; Plants; Zinc; Soil; Iron; Sodium
PubMed: 36096215
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158673 -
Chemosphere Dec 2022Wellbore stability in shale is a recurring crisis during oil and gas well drilling. The adsorption of water and ions from drilling fluid by shale, which causes clay...
Wellbore stability in shale is a recurring crisis during oil and gas well drilling. The adsorption of water and ions from drilling fluid by shale, which causes clay swelling, is the primary cause of wellbore instability. Nanomaterials have been a subject of interest in recent years to be an effective shale inhibitor in drilling fluid, intending to minimize clay swelling. This article presents a comprehensive review of the current progress of nanoparticle role in water-based drilling fluid with regards to wellbore stability, reviewing the experimental methods, the effect of nanoparticles in drilling fluid, the mechanism of shale stability and the outlook for future research. This paper employed a systematic review methodology to highlight the progress of nanoparticle water-based drilling fluids in recent years. Previous studies indicated the current trend for drilling fluid additives was nanoparticles modified with surfactants and polymers, which minimize colloidal stability issues and enhance shale stability. A review of experimental methods showed that the pressure transmission test benefits shale stability assessment under reservoir conditions. Parametric analysis of nanoparticles showed that parameters such as concentration and size directly affected the shale stability even in high salinity solution. However, there is a lack of studies on nanoparticle types, with silica nanoparticles being the most popular among researchers. Nanoparticles enhance shale stability via physical plugging, chemical inhibition, and electrostatic interactions between surface charges. To better comprehend the influence of nanoparticles on shale stabilization, it is necessary to evaluate a wider range of nanoparticle types using the proper experimental techniques.
Topics: Clay; Minerals; Nanoparticles; Polymers; Silicon Dioxide; Surface-Active Agents; Water
PubMed: 36058368
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136274 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Aug 2022The effect of coupled plasma filtration adsorption (CPFA) for the treatment of sepsis or septic shock is controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis was... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The effect of coupled plasma filtration adsorption (CPFA) for the treatment of sepsis or septic shock is controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of CPFA on all-cause mortality in patients with sepsis or septic shock.
METHODS
We searched the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies from inception to the 1st of May 2022. We included studies involving patients (˃ 14 years) with sepsis or septic shock. All authors reported our primary outcome of all-cause mortality (hospital mortality, 28-day mortality or 30-day mortality). Results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with accompanying 95% confidence interval (CI).
RESULTS
Six studies including 537 patients were included. The primary outcome of this meta-analysis showed that the all-cause mortality was about 54.2% (119/243 in the CPFA group and 172/294 in the control group). There was no statistically significant difference in the all-cause mortality between two groups (odds ratio [OR] = 0.75; 95% CI 0.53 to 1.06; P = 0.11; Chi = 14.04; I = 64%).
CONCLUSIONS
The treatment of CPFA failed to decrease all-cause mortality of sepsis or septic shock patients. Further large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the ability of this therapy to improve clinical outcomes are still required to confirm these results.
Topics: Adsorption; Hospital Mortality; Humans; Odds Ratio; Sepsis; Shock, Septic
PubMed: 36038815
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07689-5