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Food Science & Nutrition Feb 2024This study was designed to investigate the presence of potential human pathogenic bacteria, bacterial load, and their incidence in ready-to-eat leafy greens viz.,...
This study was designed to investigate the presence of potential human pathogenic bacteria, bacterial load, and their incidence in ready-to-eat leafy greens viz., coriander, lettuce, and mint leaves sold at diverse marketplaces in Dhaka City. Multiple identification methods including cultural, morphological, biochemical, and molecular analysis were employed in the Plant Pathology Laboratory of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University to identify the human pathogenic bacteria. In molecular analysis, the DNA samples were put through PCR using bacterial primer 27F: AGAGTTTGATCMTGGCTGAG and universal primer 1942R: CGGTTACCTTGTTACGACTT. Initially, nine different bacterial genera viz. , and were detected, and their incidence was 93%, 67%, 44%, 30%, 26%, 26%, 11%, 7%, and 7% respectively. A total of twelve bacteria have been identified from these genera out of which 7 bacteria viz. , , and spp., were reported as human pathogenic bacteria in several pieces of literature. The highest colony-forming units per gram were shown in mint (4.27 ± 2.35 × 10) followed by lettuce (2.87 ± 0.76 × 10) and coriander (2.43 ± 1.32 × 10). Considering marketplaces, the highest colony-forming units per gram were observed in the samples of street markets (5.0 ± 1.72 × 10) and the lowest was in supermarkets (1.87 ± 0.46 × 10) followed by local markets (2.7 ± 0.91 × 10). All the leafy green samples crossed the acceptable level of bacterial load (10 CFU/g). The findings of the study highlight the urgency for improved food safety protocols in their production and distribution in Dhaka city.
PubMed: 38370046
DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3825 -
Toxicon : Official Journal of the... Mar 2024Death Camas (Zigadenus spp.) are common poisonous plants distributed throughout North America. The toxic alkaloids in foothill death camas are zygadenine and a series of...
Death Camas (Zigadenus spp.) are common poisonous plants distributed throughout North America. The toxic alkaloids in foothill death camas are zygadenine and a series of zygadenine esters, with zygacine, the 3-acetyl ester of zygadenine, being the most abundant. Both cattle and sheep can be poisoned by grazing death camas, however, sheep consume death camas more readily and are most often poisoned. We hypothesized that the presence of enzymes, including esterases present in the rumen, liver, and blood of livestock would metabolize zygacine. The objective of this study was to investigate the metabolism of zygacine in sheep and cattle using in-vitro and in-vivo systems. Results from experiments where zygacine was incubated in rumen culture, plasma, liver S9 fractions, and liver microsomes and from the analysis of rumen and sera from sheep and cattle dosed death camas plant material demonstrated that zygacine is metabolized to zygadenine in the rumen, liver and blood of sheep and cattle. The results from this study indicate that diagnosticians should analyze for zygadenine, and not zygacine, in the rumen and sera for the diagnosis of livestock suspected to have been poisoned by foothill death camas.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Sheep; Plant Poisoning; Alkaloids; Plants, Toxic; Livestock; Rumen; Antineoplastic Agents; Ruminants; Melanthiaceae
PubMed: 38364982
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107651 -
Frontiers in Toxicology 2024Bog bilberry ( L.) is a wild-growing berry native to all circumboreal regions. There is however a significant discrepancy in the uses of bog bilberry fruits around the... (Review)
Review
Bog bilberry ( L.) is a wild-growing berry native to all circumboreal regions. There is however a significant discrepancy in the uses of bog bilberry fruits around the world. There exists a strong prejudice against the use of these berries in many European countries as well as a few incidences of poisoning reported between 1906 and 1944. In Asia and North America, this fear is completely absent from the local knowledge and the bog bilberry is valued as an excellent food and medicinal plant. There has been a lack of research on the topic in the last 50 years and thus the presumed toxicity remains unproven. This review aims to gather the conflicting information from all regions where bog bilberry grows and present them in a critical way to elucidate the possible explanations for the discrepancies. There are several possible explanations for the alleged toxicity of the bog bilberry, including a fungal infection of the fruits, individual intolerance or accidental poisoning by a different plant species; the local names meaning "drunk, inebriating, vomit-inducing berry" may be related to the alcoholic drinks made from them. This review highlights the gap in knowledge and serves as a theoretical framework for future research.
PubMed: 38357417
DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1358840 -
Australian Veterinary Journal Jul 2024Phalaris aquatica is pasture species introduced into Australia during early European settlement. Consumption of the plant can cause the neurological condition chronic...
Phalaris aquatica is pasture species introduced into Australia during early European settlement. Consumption of the plant can cause the neurological condition chronic phalaris toxicity (CPT) in sheep and cattle. In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of CPT in macropods, which has raised concerns regarding its impacts on their welfare. Currently, little is known about the distribution or seasonal patterns of this disease in wildlife, information pivotal in assessing its potential risks. Between 2021 and 2022, we conducted a survey targeting government bodies, veterinary businesses and wildlife organisations to investigate the locations and time of occurrence of CPT in macropods in the state of Victoria, Australia. We received 13 survey responses, 12 verbal reports, a full record of investigated cases from a university veterinary school and cases from a wildlife rescue organisation. Over the period of 11 years, Victoria had 918 cases of CPT recorded in macropods from 36 local government areas, with cases concentrated centrally just north of the state capital of Melbourne and July (midwinter) being the month with the highest case count (n = 220). There was a significant positive correlation between case count and both the abundance of kangaroos (Macropus giganteus and Macropus fuliginosus) (P < 0.01) and the abundance of P. aquatica (P = 0.009), and a significant negative correlation between annual case count and average rainfall of March (P = 0.016) and April (P = 0.02). Understanding these relationships will assist land and wildlife managers in predicting the risk and magnitude of disease outbreaks of CPT each in Victoria.
Topics: Animals; Victoria; Macropodidae; Seasons; Animals, Wild; Plant Poisoning; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38351862
DOI: 10.1111/avj.13327 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Mar 2024The adverse effects of arsenic-chelating drugs make it essential to replace invasive chelating therapy with non-invasive oral therapy for arsenic poisoning. The goal of...
The adverse effects of arsenic-chelating drugs make it essential to replace invasive chelating therapy with non-invasive oral therapy for arsenic poisoning. The goal of the current investigation was to determine whether the uterine damage caused by arsenization could be repaired by the n-butanol fraction of Moringa oleifera seed (NB). The rats were orally administered with arsenic (10 mg/kg BW) for the initial 8 days, followed by NB (50 mg/kg) for the next 8 days without arsenic. The probable existence of different components in NB was evaluated by HPLC-MS. Pro and anti-inflammatory indicators were assessed by RT-PCR and western blot. ESR-α was detected via immunostaining. Arsenic-exposed rats had significantly increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant enzyme activity, which were markedly reduced after NB treatment. Weaker ESR-α expression and distorted uterine histomorphology following arsenication were retrieved significantly by NB. Meaningful restoration by NB was also achieved for altered mRNA and protein expression of various inflammatory and apoptotic indicators. Molecular interaction predicted that glucomoringin and methyl glucosinolate of moringa interact with the catalytic site of caspase-3 in a way that limits its activity. However, NB was successful in restoring the arsenic-mediated uterine hypofunction. The glucomoringin and methyl glucosinolate present in n-butanol fraction may play a critical role in limiting apoptotic event in the arsenicated uterus.
Topics: Female; Rats; Animals; Arsenic; Moringa; Oxidative Stress; 1-Butanol; Glucosinolates; Antioxidants; Moringa oleifera; Plant Extracts; Seeds
PubMed: 38349492
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32213-4 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Mar 2024Cadmium (Cd) is a naturally occurring environmental pollutant, a toxic substance that causes oxidative stress. According to epidemiological studies, the data suggested... (Review)
Review
Cadmium (Cd) is a naturally occurring environmental pollutant, a toxic substance that causes oxidative stress. According to epidemiological studies, the data suggested that environmental and occupational Cd exposure may be related to several diseases and severe testicular damage. However, studies are going on to explore the mechanism of Cd-induced male reproductive toxicity and its treatment strategies. Currently, researchers are focusing on naturally occurring bioactive compounds, plant extracts, and biochemical, which have better efficacy, less toxicity, and high bioavailability. This review focuses on the mechanistic effect of Cd on testicular toxicity and different categories of compounds having a beneficial impact on Cd-induced male reproductive toxicity. Some potent bioactive antioxidants are quercetin, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, curcumin, and silymarin. In comparison, plant extracts are Costus afer leaf methanol extract, methanol root extract of Carpolobia lutea, red carrot methanolic extract, Panax ginseng extract, and biochemicals including melatonin, progesterone, glutamine, L-carnitine, and selenium. Advanced and more detailed studies are needed on these compounds to explore their mechanism in attenuating Cd-induced testicular toxicity and can be potential therapeutics in the future.
Topics: Male; Humans; Cadmium; Methanol; Testis; Antioxidants; Oxidative Stress; Cadmium Poisoning; Hazardous Substances; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 38349491
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32210-7 -
Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) Jan 2024The death of Socrates in 399 BCE is described in Plato's dialogue, the Phaedo, written an unknown time afterwards from accounts by others.
INTRODUCTION
The death of Socrates in 399 BCE is described in Plato's dialogue, the Phaedo, written an unknown time afterwards from accounts by others.
THE EVIDENCE
Socrates' death has almost always been attributed to his drinking an extract of poison hemlock, despite apparent discrepancies between the clinical features described in classical translations of the Phaedo and general clinical experience of poisoning with the toxic alkaloids it contains.
EVALUATION
Recent acute philological analysis of the original Greek text has resolved many of the discrepancies by showing that the terms used in the classical translations were misinterpretations of the clinical signs described. It is also likely that the unpleasant clinical effects, such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and muscle fasciculation commonly described in modern reports of poison hemlock poisoning, were not mentioned to present the death of Socrates in a way consistent with his philosophical ideals and those of his pupil Plato.
CONCLUSIONS
Seen in this way, the death of Socrates can be accepted as a limited case report of poisoning. Even after reaching that conclusion, intriguing scientific questions remain about the toxicity of the coniine alkaloids and the mechanisms of their effects.
Topics: Humans; Alkaloids; Conium; History, Ancient; Plant Poisoning
PubMed: 38348840
DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2024.2309328 -
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Feb 2024Ricin, a category-B agent for bioterrorism, and Shiga toxins (Stxs), which cause food poisoning bind to the ribosomal P-stalk to depurinate the sarcin/ricin loop. No...
Ricin, a category-B agent for bioterrorism, and Shiga toxins (Stxs), which cause food poisoning bind to the ribosomal P-stalk to depurinate the sarcin/ricin loop. No effective therapy exists for ricin or Stx intoxication. Ribosome binding sites of the toxins have not been targeted by small molecules. We previously identified CC10501, which inhibits toxin activity by binding the P-stalk pocket of ricin toxin A subunit (RTA) remote from the catalytic site. Here, we developed a fluorescence polarization assay and identified a new class of compounds, which bind P-stalk pocket of RTA with higher affinity and inhibit catalytic activity with submicromolar potency. A lead compound, RU-NT-206, bound P-stalk pocket of RTA with similar affinity as a five-fold larger P-stalk peptide and protected cells against ricin and Stx2 holotoxins for the first time. These results validate the P-stalk binding site of RTA as a critical target for allosteric inhibition of the active site.
Topics: Binding Sites; Peptides; Protein Binding; Ribosomes; Ricin
PubMed: 38340640
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117614 -
Toxicon : Official Journal of the... Mar 2024Biotoxins are toxic substances that originate from living organisms and are harmful to humans. Therefore, we need to know the symptoms of biotoxins poisoning to manage... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Biotoxins are toxic substances that originate from living organisms and are harmful to humans. Therefore, we need to know the symptoms of biotoxins poisoning to manage the damage. The purpose of this study is to establish a practical diagnostic protocol for dealing with poisoned patients exposed to biotoxins.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present study is a review study. Our studied community is articles and books matching the title of the project and relevant keywords. First, by searching the key words sign, symptom, biotoxins, relevant articles were extracted and studied from valid databases. By reviewing the studies based on the search strategy, four groups of biotoxins that were studied the most were identified. These four groups are marine biotoxins, bacterial biotoxins, fungal biotoxins and plant biotoxins. In each of these biotoxin groups, important toxins were selected and studied.
RESULTS
A total of 1864 articles were initially identified from the databases searched in present study. After screening titles and abstracts, 26 articles were included in the systematic review. Specifically, 7 articles were included for bacterial toxins, 9 articles for marine toxins, 5 articles for plant toxins and 5 articles for fungal toxins.
CONCLUSION
The symptoms of plant biotoxins poisoning may include cardiovascular, hematologic, neurologic, respiratory, renal, and gastrointestinal symptoms, while the symptoms of fungal biotoxins poisoning may include hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, metabolic, respiratory, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms. marine biotoxins poisoning presents with gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, with varying incubation periods and recovery times. bacterial biotoxins exposure can lead to a wide range of clinical symptoms, with diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain being the most common, and hemoglobinuria or hematuria being a sensitive and specific clinical manifestation for diagnosing ongoing HUS in children.
Topics: Humans; Marine Toxins; Toxins, Biological
PubMed: 38336277
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107629 -
Small (Weinheim An Der Bergstrasse,... Feb 2024As a crucial component responsible for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), cobalt-rich perovskite-type cathode materials have been extensively investigated in protonic...
As a crucial component responsible for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), cobalt-rich perovskite-type cathode materials have been extensively investigated in protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC). However, their widespread application at a commercial scale is considerably hindered by the high cost and inadequate stability. In response to these weaknesses, the study presents a novel cobalt-free perovskite oxide, Ba La (Fe Zn ) O (BLFZ0.95), with the triple-conducting (H |O |e ) property as an active and robust air electrode for PCFC. The B-site deficiency state contributes significantly to the optimization of crystal and electronic structure, as well as the increase in oxygen vacancy concentration, thus in turn favoring the catalytic capacity. As a result, the as-obtained BLFZ0.95 electrode demonstrates exceptional electrochemical performance at 700 °C, representing extremely low area-specific resistance of 0.04 Ω cm in humid air (3 vol.% H O), extraordinarily high peak power density of 1114 mW cm , and improved resistance against CO poisoning. Furthermore, the outstanding long-term durability is achieved without visible deterioration in both symmetrical and single cell modes. This study presents a simple but crucial case for rational design of cobalt-free perovskite cathode materials with appreciable performance via B-site deficiency regulation.
PubMed: 38334199
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307900