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Polymers May 2021Wood is an increasingly demanded renewable resource and an important raw material for construction and materials. In addition, new consumption habits are leading to the... (Review)
Review
Wood is an increasingly demanded renewable resource and an important raw material for construction and materials. In addition, new consumption habits are leading to the production of ever greater volumes of waste wood, which constitutes a feedstock that can be mobilized for the cascade production of new materials such as particleboard. However, current legislation and wood waste recycling processes need to be improved in order to maximize the volumes that can be reused and to upgrade the properties of the recycled wood. This review describes wood waste flows and volumes available in Europe, the current French and European legislation, and the innovations under development in this field: innovative automated sorting techniques, physical-chemical processes for cleaning residual glue from the surface of wood particles, cleaning of MDF, and bioremediation processes for cleaning hazardous wood contaminated by heavy metals or creosote.
PubMed: 34071945
DOI: 10.3390/polym13111752 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2022Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies in humans and academia as well as public authorities expect a further increase of its... (Review)
Review
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies in humans and academia as well as public authorities expect a further increase of its incidence in the next years. The major risk factor for the development of SCC of the general population is the repeated and unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Another important risk factor, in particular with regards to occupational settings, is the chronic exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which are formed during incomplete combustion of organic material and thus can be found in coal tar, creosote, bitumen and related working materials. Importantly, both exposomal factors unleash their carcinogenic potential, at least to some extent, by activating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). The AHR is a ligand-dependent transcription factor and key regulator in xenobiotic metabolism and immunity. The AHR is expressed in all cutaneous cell-types investigated so far and maintains skin integrity. We and others have reported that in response to a chronic exposure to environmental stressors, in particular UV radiation and PAHs, an activation of AHR and downstream signaling pathways critically contributes to the development of SCC. Here, we summarize the current knowledge about AHR's role in skin carcinogenesis and focus on its impact on defense mechanisms, such as DNA repair, apoptosis and anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, we discuss the possible consequences of a simultaneous exposure to different AHR-stimulating environmental factors for the development of cutaneous SCC.
PubMed: 35311158
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.841721 -
Ecology and Evolution Nov 2019Human activities are changing patterns of ecological disturbance globally. In North American deserts, wildfire is increasing in size and frequency due to fuel...
Human activities are changing patterns of ecological disturbance globally. In North American deserts, wildfire is increasing in size and frequency due to fuel characteristics of invasive annual grasses. Fire reduces the abundance and cover of native vegetation in desert ecosystems. In this study, we sought to characterize stem growth and reproductive output of a dominant native shrub in the Mojave Desert, creosote bush ( (DC.) Coville) following wildfires that occurred in 2005. We sampled 55 shrubs along burned and unburned transects 12 years after the fires (2017) and quantified age, stem diameter, stem number, radial and vertical growth rates, and fruit production for each shrub. The shrubs on the burn transects were most likely postfire resprouts based on stem age while stems from unburn transects dated from before the fire. Stem and vertical growth rates for shrubs on burned transects were 2.6 and 1.7 times higher than that observed for shrubs on unburned transects. Fruit production of shrubs along burned transects was 4.7-fold more than shrubs along paired unburned transects. Growth rates and fruit production of shrubs in burned areas did not differ with increasing distance from the burn perimeter. Positive growth and reproduction responses of creosote following wildfires could be critical for soil stabilization and re-establishment of native plant communities in this desert system. Additional research is needed to assess if repeat fires that are characteristic of invasive grass-fire cycles may limit these benefits.
PubMed: 31788223
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5771 -
BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care Mar 2020Metformin, an oral medication used for type 2 diabetes mellitus, is the most commonly prescribed drug with less economic burden of patients. Although metformin's...
OBJECTIVE
Metformin, an oral medication used for type 2 diabetes mellitus, is the most commonly prescribed drug with less economic burden of patients. Although metformin's efficacy and safety have long been recognized, approximately 5% of the patients treated with this drug develop severe diarrhea as an adverse effect and have to abandon treatment. Because there is no animal model to study metformin-induced diarrhea, it is hard to develop methods to maintain quality of life of patients prescribed with metformin.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Using mouse models, we tried to develop an evaluation system for metformin-induced diarrhea to improve diarrheal symptoms in patients with diabetes. Healthy (C57BL/6J) and diabetic obese () mice were subjected to a stepwise dose escalation of metformin (250 mg/kg/day (125 mg/kg twice daily oral dose)-1000 mg/kg/day (500 mg/kg twice daily oral dose)), and fecal moisture contents and their score were monitored. To evaluate anti-diarrheal medications, wood creosote (a traditional medicine) was tested. Several groups of enterobacteria in fresh feces were examined by using PCR.
RESULTS
1000 mg/kg/day (four times maximal effective dose) of metformin significantly increased fecal moisture content. Although no symptoms of diarrhea were observed in healthy C57BL/6J mice, the same dose of metformin induced severe diarrhea in diabetic obese mice. A reduction in PCR signals for the group was associated with metformin-induced diarrhea. Wood creosote reduced diarrhea (high water-content) without affecting metformin's efficacy or enterobacterial flora levels.
CONCLUSIONS
We have created the first animal model of metformin-induced diarrhea using mice, which will provide better quality of life for patients suffering from diarrhea caused by metformin.
Topics: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diarrhea; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents; Metformin; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Quality of Life
PubMed: 32213489
DOI: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000898 -
Functional Ecology Aug 2022Little is known about the tolerances of mammalian herbivores to plant specialized metabolites across landscapes.We investigated the tolerances of two species of...
Little is known about the tolerances of mammalian herbivores to plant specialized metabolites across landscapes.We investigated the tolerances of two species of herbivorous woodrats, (desert woodrat) and (Bryant's woodrat) to creosote bush (), a widely distributed shrub with a highly toxic resin. Woodrats were sampled from 13 locations both with and without creosote bush across a 900 km transect in the US southwest. We tested whether these woodrat populations consume creosote bush using plant metabarcoding of feces and quantified their tolerance to creosote bush through feeding trials using chow amended with creosote resin.Toxin tolerance was analyzed in the context of population structure across collection sites with microsatellite analyses. Genetic differentiation among woodrats collected from different locations was minimal within either species. Tolerance differed substantially between the two species, with persisting 20% longer than in feeding trials with creosote resin. Furthermore, in both species, tolerance to creosote resin was similar among woodrats near or within creosote bush habitat. In both species, woodrats collected greater than 25 km from creosote had markedly lower tolerances to creosote resin compared to animals from within the range of creosote bush.The results imply that mammalian herbivores are adapted to the specialized metabolites of plants in their diet, and that this tolerance can extend several kilometers outside of the range of dietary items. That is, direct ecological exposure to the specialized chemistry of particular plant species is not a prerequisite for tolerance to these compounds. These findings lay the groundwork for additional studies to investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying toxin tolerance and to identify how these mechanisms are maintained across landscape-level scales in mammalian herbivores.
PubMed: 37727272
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14093 -
Journal of Traditional and... Jul 2015The medicinal properties of the most successful plant in the deserts of the western hemisphere, the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), are evidenced by the long... (Review)
Review
The medicinal properties of the most successful plant in the deserts of the western hemisphere, the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), are evidenced by the long traditional usage of the plants by the Native Americans Indian tribes in Southwestern North America and the Amerindians from South America. The plant is rich in simple bisphenyl lignans and tricyclic lignans known as cyclolignans. These compounds are responsible for many of the pharmacological activities of extracts of the plants. Some of these activities, namely antiherpes, antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory, were known a century ago. Only recently have further studies revealed other crucial activities of the same plant molecules as powerful agents against human immunodeficiency virus, human papillomavirus, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and symptoms of aging. Molecular mechanisms underlying the antiviral and anticancer activities have been elucidated and involve the inhibition of SP1 dependent gene transcription. This review summarizes the recent findings on creosote bush lignans. We introduce the concept of a cocktail of safe well-characterized natural products from the creosote bush that would represent a bridge between oriental herbal medicines and Western drug-based therapies.
PubMed: 26151022
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.11.024 -
Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2020Anisakiasis is common in countries where raw or incompletely cooked marine fish are consumed. Currently, effective therapeutic methods to treat anisakiasis are...
Anisakiasis is common in countries where raw or incompletely cooked marine fish are consumed. Currently, effective therapeutic methods to treat anisakiasis are unavailable. A recent study found that wood creosote inactivates the movement of Anisakis species. Essential oil of Origanum compactum containing carvacrol and thymol, which are similar to the constituents of wood creosote, was reported to inactivate Anisakis by inhibiting its acetylcholinesterase. We examined whether wood creosote can also inhibit acetylcholinesterase. We examined the effect of components of wood creosote using the same experimental method. A computer simulation experiment (molecular docking) was also performed. Here, we demonstrate that wood creosote inactivated acetylcholinesterase in a dose-dependent manner with an IC of 0.25 mg/mL. Components of wood creosote were also tested individually: 5-methylguaiacol, p-cresol, guaiacol, o-cresol, 2,4-dimethylphenol, m-cresol, phenol and 4-methylguaiacol inactivated the enzyme with an IC of 14.0, 5.6, 17.0, 6.3, 3.9, 10.0, 15.2 and 27.2 mM, respectively. The mechanism of acetylcholinesterase inactivation was analyzed using a computer-based molecular docking simulation, which employed a three-dimensional structure of acetylcholinesterase and above phenolic compounds as docking ligands. The simulation indicated that the phenolic compounds bind to the active site of the enzyme, thereby competitively blocking entry of the substrate acetylcholine. These findings suggest that the mechanism for the inactivation of Anisakis movement by wood creosote is due to inhibition of acetylcholinesterase needed for motor neuron activity.
Topics: Acetylcholinesterase; Animals; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Creosote; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electrophorus; Molecular Docking Simulation; Molecular Structure; Phenols; Structure-Activity Relationship; Wood
PubMed: 33268651
DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c20-00583 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2023Creosote, a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), was and is a wood impregnate of widespread use. Over the years the accumulation of creosote PAHs in soils...
Creosote, a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), was and is a wood impregnate of widespread use. Over the years the accumulation of creosote PAHs in soils and freshwaters has increased, causing a threat to ecosystems. The combined ozonation-biodegradation process is proposed to improve the slow and inefficient biodegradation of creosote hydrocarbons. The impact of different ozonation methods on the biodegradation of model wastewater was evaluated. The biodegradation rate, the changes in chemical oxygen demand, and the total organic carbon concentration were measured in order to provide insight into the process. Moreover, the bacteria consortium activity was monitored during the biodegradation step of the process. The collected data confirmed the research hypothesis, which was that the hybrid method can improve biodegradation. The pre-ozonation followed by inoculation with a bacteria consortium resulted in a significant increase in the biodegradation rate. It allows for the shortening of the time required for the consortium to reach maximum degradation effectiveness and cell activity. Hence, the study gives an important and useful perspective for the decontamination of creosote-polluted ecosystems.
Topics: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Creosote; Ecosystem; Soil Pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Bacteria; Ozone; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 37047962
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075347