Ethnobotanical knowledge on non-conventional food plants and medicinal plants in Extractivist Reserve in the Brazilian Amazon / Conocimiento etnobotánico sobre plantas alimenticias no convencionales y plantas medicinales en una Reserva Extractivista en la Amazonía Brasileña

Information on the knowledge and ways of using food and medicinal plants by traditional populations, family farmers and Brazilian native population in the Amazon is essential to guarantee the food sovereignty of these groups. This study was conducted using semi-structured interviews applied to local respondents. A total of 269 species of both non-conventional food plants and medicinal plants were identified, distributed in 83 botanical families and 198 genera. The Arecaceae and Lamiaceae families had the highest species richness (11 and 7, respectively). The Shannon-Wiener (H') and Pielou (J') diversity indices were considered high (5.02 and 0.9, respectively) when compared to other ethnobotanical works. In the environment in which these families are found, these species become the only food and medicinal resources available.

La información sobre los saberes y formas de uso de las plantas alimenticias y medicinales por parte de las poblaciones tradicionales, agricultores familiares e indígenas brasileños en la Amazonía es fundamental para garantizar la soberanía alimentaria de estos grupos. Este estudio se realizó utilizando entrevistas semiestructuradas aplicadas a encuestados locales. Se identificaron un total de 269 especies tanto de plantas alimenticiasno convencionales como de plantas medicinales, distribuidas en 83 familias botánicas y 198 géneros. Las familias Arecaceae y Lamiaceae tuvieron la mayor riqueza de especies (11 y 7, respectivamente). Los índices de diversidad de Shannon-Wiener (H') y Pielou (J') fueron considerados altos (5,02 y 0,9, respectivamente) en comparación con otros trabajos etnobotánicos. En el ambiente en que se encuentran estas familias, estas especies se convierten en los únicos recursos alimenticios y medicinales disponibles.

A segurança dos alimentos nos Centros de Tradições Gaúchas do Rio Grande do Sul / Food safety in the Centros de Tradições Gaúchas of Rio Grande do Sul

Os Centros de Tradições Gaúchas (CTG) são entidades de divulgação e perpetuação da cultura do Rio Grande do Sul. A produção de refeições nessas entidades ocorre nos ensaios dos grupos de danças tradicionais e nos eventos oferecidos à comunidade, como jantares. Sabendo do impacto das doenças transmitidas por alimentos (DTA) na saúde humana, o objetivo deste trabalho é identificar a adequação dos CTG às boas práticas para manipulação de alimentos (BPM), explorar quem são os responsáveis pelas atividades de manipulação de alimentos e identificar a frequência e o número da produção de refeições servidas nessas instituições. A Portaria SES-RS nº 78/2009 e um questionário de coleta de dados dos grupos de dança e da produção de refeições foram aplicados em 5 CTG do Rio Grande do Sul. Outros 17 CTG do estado responderam a um segundo questionário, semelhante ao primeiro, com adição de perguntas sobre controle sanitário. Obteve-se uma média de adequação às BPM de 38% entre os CTG. Verificou-se que são servidas, em média, 4 refeições por semana entre os ensaios das invernadas artísticas próximos a competições. Em 36% dos CTG, ocorrem de 2 a 3 eventos por trimestre com produção de refeições. Em 45% dos CTG, são servidas de 100 a 200 pessoas nos eventos. Em relação aos trabalhos na cozinha, apenas 23,5% dos CTG têm como responsáveis dessas atividades pessoas devidamente capacitadas. Sendo os CTG instituições sem fins lucrativos, a criação de programas para a garantia do alimento seguro nesses espaços se faz necessária.

Centros de Tradições Gaúchas (CTG) are entities for the dissemination and perpetuation of Rio Grande do Sul culture. The production of meals in these entities takes place in the rehearsals of traditional dance groups and in events offered to the community, such as dinners. Knowing the impact of the foodborne diseases in human health, the objective of this work is to identify the adequacy of CTG to good food handling practices, to explore who are responsibles for food handling activities and identify the frequency and number of meals served in these institutions. The Portaria SES-RS No. 78/2009 and a questionnaire for data collection from dance groups and meals production were applied in 5 CTG in Rio Grande do Sul. Another 17 CTG in the state answered a second questionnaire, similar to the first, with the addition of questions about sanitary control. The average compliance with good practices was 38% among the CTG. It was found that, on average, 4 meals are served per week between rehearsals of the dance groups close to competitions. In 36% of the CTG, 2 to 3 events are held per quarter with production of meals. In 45% of the CTG, the number of people served at the events varies from 100 to 200. Regarding the work in the kitchen, only 23.5% of the CTG have duly trained people for these activities. Given that CTG are non-profit institutions, the creation of programs to ensure food safety in these spaces is necessary.

The Conflict between Regulatory Agencies over the 20,000-Fold Lowering of the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for Bisphenol A (BPA) by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

BACKGROUND: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended lowering their estimated tolerable daily intake (TDI) for bisphenol A (BPA) 20,000-fold to 0.2 ng/kg body weight (BW)/day. BPA is an extensively studied high production volume endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) associated with a vast array of diseases. Prior risk assessments of BPA by EFSA as well as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have relied on industry-funded studies conducted under good laboratory practice protocols (GLP) requiring guideline end points and detailed record keeping, while also claiming to examine (but rejecting) thousands of published findings by academic scientists. Guideline protocols initially formalized in the mid-twentieth century are still used by many regulatory agencies. EFSA used a 21st century approach in its reassessment of BPA and conducted a transparent, but time-limited, systematic review that included both guideline and academic research. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) opposed EFSA's revision of the TDI for BPA. OBJECTIVES: We identify the flaws in the assumptions that the German BfR, as well as the FDA, have used to justify maintaining the TDI for BPA at levels above what a vast amount of academic research shows to cause harm. We argue that regulatory agencies need to incorporate 21st century science into chemical hazard identifications using the CLARITY-BPA (Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity) nonguideline academic studies in a collaborative government-academic program model. DISCUSSION: We strongly endorse EFSA's revised TDI for BPA and support the European Commission's (EC) apparent acceptance of this updated BPA risk assessment. We discuss challenges to current chemical risk assessment assumptions about EDCs that need to be addressed by regulatory agencies to, in our opinion, become truly protective of public health. Addressing these challenges will hopefully result in BPA, and eventually other structurally similar bisphenols (called regrettable substitutions) for which there are known adverse effects, being eliminated from all food-related and many other uses in the EU and elsewhere. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13812.

Monitoring Indian "Superfood" Moringa oleifera Lam. - species-specific PCR-fingerprint-based authentication for more consumer safety.

Moringa oleifera Lam. has become one of the major new superfoods commonly available in the aisles of bio-shops and health-food sections in supermarkets of North America and Europe. While most of these products appear under the generic and scientifically inconclusive term "Moringa", the European Union, so far, has allowed commercialisation for the use in food and feed for M. oleifera only. M. oleifera is indigenous to India and South Asia, but large-scale cultivation of this species has spread to the tropical regions on all continents, with a strong focus on Africa, leading to a high risk of admixture with species like M. stenopetala (Baker f.) Cufod. that is native to Africa. In the present study, we have characterised six species of Moringa in order to develop a simple and robust authentication method for commercial products. While the plants can be discriminated based on the pinnation of the leaves, this does not work for processed samples. As alternative, we use the plastidic markers psbA-trnH igs and ycf1b to discern different species of Moringa and develop a diagnostic duplex-PCR that clearly differentiates M. oleifera from other Moringa species. This DNA-based diagnostic assay that does not rely on sequencing was validated with commercial products of "Moringa" (including teas, powders, or capsules). Our method provides a robust assay to detect adulterations, which are economically profitable for costly superfood products such as "Moringa".

A novel dual-channel cassava starch/polyvinyl alcohol-based film for visual monitoring of shrimp freshness.

In this study, the polyvinylpyrrolidone-alizarin nanoparticles (PVP-AZ NPs) with favorable water dispersion and the carbon quantum dots (RQDs) with aggregate induced emission effect were synthesized to construct an eco-friendly film for food freshness monitoring. The introduction of PVP-AZ NPs and RQDs enhanced the network structure and thermal stability of the cassava starch/polyvinyl alcohol film, and reduced its crystallinity and light transmittance via non-covalent binding with the film-forming matrix. The developed film exhibited visually recognizable colorimetric and fluorescent responses to ammonia at 0.025-25 mg/mL, and it can be reused at least 6 times. Practical application experiment proved that the film, as an indicator label, can achieve accurate, real-time, and visual dynamic monitoring of the freshness of shrimp stored at 25 °C, 4 °C, and - 20 °C under daylight (orange yellow to purple) and UV light (red to blue). The integration of multivariate detection technology can eliminate the interference of external factors by self-correction to improve sensitivity and reliability, which provides a reference for the development of other food quality and safety monitoring platforms.

Characterization and safety assessment of bamboo shoot shell cellulose nanofiber: Prepared by acidolysis combined with dynamic high-pressure microfluidization.

The preparation of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) using traditional methods is currently facing challenges due to concerns regarding environmental pollution and safety. Herein, a novel CNF was obtained from bamboo shoot shell (BSS) by low-concentration acid and dynamic high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) treatment. The resulting CNF was then characterized, followed by in vitro and in vivo safety assessments. Compared to insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), the diameters of HIDF (IDF after low-concentration acid hydrolysis) and CNF were significantly decreased to 167.13 nm and 70.97 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, HIDF and CNF showed a higher crystallinity index (71.32 % and 74.35 %). Structural analysis results indicated the successful removal of lignin and hemicellulose of HIDF and CNF, with CNF demonstrating improved thermostability. In vitro, a high dose of CNF (1500 µg/mL) did not show any signs of cytotoxicity on Caco-2 cells. In vivo, no death was observed in the experimental mice, and there was no significant difference between CNF (1000 mg/kg·bw) and control group in hematological index and histopathological analysis. Overall, this study presents an environmentally friendly method for preparing CNF from BSS while providing evidence regarding its safety through in vitro and in vivo assessments, laying the foundation for its potential application in food.

Safety evaluation of the food enzyme glutaminase from the genetically modified Bacillus licheniformis strain NZYM-JQ.

The food enzyme glutaminase (l-glutamine amidohydrolase EC 3.5.1.2) is produced with the genetically modified Bacillus licheniformis strain NZYM-JQ by Novozymes A/S. The genetic modifications do not give rise to safety concerns. The production strain met the requirements for the qualified presumption of safety (QPS). The food enzyme is free from viable cells of the production organism and its DNA. The enzyme under assessment is intended to be used in six food manufacturing processes. Dietary exposure was estimated to be up to 0.148 mg TOS/kg body weight per day in European populations. Given the QPS status of the production strain and the absence of concern resulting from the food enzyme manufacturing process, toxicological studies were not considered necessary. A search was made for the similarity of the amino acid sequence to those of known allergens and one match with a pollen allergen was found. The Panel considered that the risk of allergic reactions by dietary exposure cannot be excluded, particularly for individuals sensitised to birch and oak pollen. The Panel concluded that the food enzyme does not give rise to safety concerns under the intended conditions of use.

UPLC-TQD-MS/MS Method Validation for Quality Control of Alkaloid Content in Lepidium meyenii (Maca)-Containing Food and Dietary Supplements.

Lepidium meyenii Walp. (Brassicaceae), also known as Maca or Peruvian ginseng, is a common ingredient in food supplements with many claimed health benefits, such as improved endurance, increased energy level, and enhanced sexual properties. Due to potential toxicity of its chemicals, including alkaloids, some regulatory authorities, e.g., in Belgium, Germany, the United States, expressed concerns about the safe consumption of Maca root. However, due to the lack of commercial standards, no established analytical method currently exists for this purpose. The current project focuses on the quantitative determination of potentially toxic alkaloids from Maca. The current study presents the first analytical method for quality control of alkaloid content in Maca-containing food and dietary supplements, assessing the presence of 11 major compounds belonging to three different classes, i.e., imidazole, ß-carboline, and pyrrole alkaloids. An accurate, rapid, and sensitive UPLC-TQD-MS/MS method is reported, which was fully validated according to the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and SANTE/11312/2021 guidelines. To ensure the method's applicability and practicability in the absence of primary standards, validation of secondary standards (SSs) alongside primary standards (PSs) was also conducted for imidazole alkaloids. As a result, in Maca raw powder, total alkaloid content was found to vary from 418 to 554 ppm (mg/kg). Furthermore, all quantified imidazole alkaloids were ascertained to be the major alkaloids with the total content from 323 to 470 ppm in Maca raw powder, followed by the ß-carboline and pyrrole alkaloids. It was also observed that the commercial preparation of finished products affects the total alkaloid content, evidenced by the large variation from 56 to 598 ppm. Ultimately, from a regulatory point of view, it seems advisible not to request the complete absence of the alkaloids but to impose a maximum level based on safety considerations. In addition to the analytical method, a low-cost, simple, and scalable synthetic scheme of macapyrrolins A, C, and G was reported for the first time.

Deep eutectic solvents: Preparation, properties, and food applications.

Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) emerge as innovative 21st-century solvents, supplanting traditional ones like ethanol and n-hexane. Renowned for their non-toxic, biodegradable, and water-miscible nature with reduced volatility, DESs are mostly synthesized through heating and stirring method. Physicochemical properties such as polarity, viscosity, density and surface tension of DESs influenced their application. This review paper gives the overview of application of eco-benign DESs in fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, spices, herbs, plantation crops, oil seed crops, medicinal and aromatic plants, seaweed, and milk for the extraction of bioactive compounds. Also, it gives insight of determination of pesticides, insecticides, hazardous and toxic compounds, removal of heavy metals, detection of illegal milk additive, purification of antibiotics and preparation of packaging film. Methodologies for separating bioactive compounds from DESs extracts are systematically examined. Further, safety regulations of DESs are briefly discussed and reviewed literature reveals prevalent utilization of DES-based bioactive compound rich extracts in cosmetics, indicating untapped potential of their application in the food industry.

Current technology and industrialization status of cell-cultivated meat.

Interest and investment in cultivated meat are increasing because of the realization that it can effectively supply sufficient food resources and reduce the use of livestock. Nevertheless, accurate information on the specific technologies used for cultivated meat production and the characteristics of cultivated meat is lacking. Authorization for the use of cultivated meat is already underway in the United States, Singapore, and Israel, and other major countries are also expected to approve cultivated meat as food once the details of the intricate process of producing cultivated meat, which encompasses stages such as cell proliferation, differentiation, maturation, and assembly, is thoroughly established. The development and standardization of mass production processes and safety evaluations must precede the industrialization and use of cultivated meat as food. However, the technology for the industrialization of cultivated meat is still in its nascent stage, and the mass production process has not yet been established. The mass production process of cultivated meat may not be easy to disclose because it is related to the interests of several companies or research teams. However, the overall research flow shows that equipment development for mass production and cell acquisition, proliferation, and differentiation, as well as for three-dimensional production supports and bioreactors have not yet been completed. Therefore, additional research on the mass production process and safety of cultivated meat is essential. The consumer's trust in the cultivated meat products and production technologies recently disclosed by some companies should also be analyzed and considered for guiding future developments in this industry. Furthermore, close monitoring by academia and the government will be necessary to identify fraud in the cultivated meat industry.

Complete genome sequence of bacteriocin-producing Ligilactobacillus salivarius B4311 isolated from fecal samples of broiler chicken with anti-listeria activity.

Ligilactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive lactobacilli commonly found in the intestinal tracts of vertebrates. It has been granted a Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) status from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). One specific strain, Ligilactobacillus salivarius B4311, was isolated from fecal samples of broiler chickens from a farm associated with Chung-Ang University (Anseong, Korea). This strain was observed to have inhibitory effects against Listeria monocytogenes. In this paper, we present the complete genome sequence of Lig. salivarius B4311. The whole genome of strain B4311 comprises 2,071,255 bp assembled into 3 contigs representing a chromosome, repA-type megaplasmid, and small plasmid. The genome contains 1,963 protein-coding sequences, 22 rRNA genes, and 78 tRNA genes, with a guanine + cytosine (GC) content of 33.1%. The megaplasmid of strain B4311 was found to contain the bacteriocin gene cluster for salivaricin P, a two-peptide bacteriocin belonging to class IIb.

Evaluation of crAssphages as a potential marker of human viral contamination in environmental water and fresh leafy greens.

CrAssphages are human gut bacteriophages with potential use as an indicator of human fecal contamination in water and other environmental systems. We determined the prevalence and abundance of crAssphages in water, food, and fecal samples and compared these estimates with the prevalence of norovirus. Samples were tested using two crAssphage-specific qPCR assays (CPQ056 and TN201-203) and for norovirus using TaqMan realtime RT-PCR. CrAssphage was detected in 40% of human fecal specimens, 61% of irrigation water samples, 58.5% of stream water samples, and 68.5% of fresh leafy greens samples. Interestingly, across all sample categories, crAssphage concentrations were 2-3 log10 higher than norovirus concentrations. The correlation of detection of crAssphage and norovirus was significant for the irrigation water samples (r = 0.74, p = 7.4e-06). Sequences obtained from crAssphage positive samples from human fecal and stream water samples phylogenetically clustered with genotype I crAssphages, whereas sequences derived from irrigation water samples clustered differently from other genotypes. Our data show that crAssphages were prevalent in norovirus-positive water samples and in fresh leafy green samples, there was a strong correlation between the presence of crAssphage and norovirus. CrAssphage genomic copies were consistently higher than norovirus copies in all sample types. Overall, our findings suggest that crAssphages could be used as reliable indicators to monitor fecal-borne virus contamination within the food safety chain.

Proposals for new transfer coefficient (TC) values for worker re-entry activities in grape vineyards.

New transfer coefficient (TC) values were derived for vineyard workers handling treated grapevines during harvesting and crop maintenance activities. Re-entry exposure and dislodgeable foliar residue (DFR) studies were performed in Europe, covering hand harvesting, pruning/training, pruning/tying and pruning /shoot lifting. Foliar applications of fungicides (iprovalicarb, dimethomorph, dithianon, pyrimethanil and fenbuconazole) were made and 73 workers at 16 sites were monitored over one working day. Exposure was measured on inner and outer dosimeters, face/neck wipes and hand washes. In concurrent DFR studies, leaf punches were taken at each site during the time of worker re-entry. Potential exposure values correlated well with DFR values. TC values were derived for various re-entry activities for potential and actual exposure, with and without gloves. The harvesting task resulted in lower TC values than the other crop maintenance tasks. Additional TC values reflecting the use of protective gloves can be derived from the results. The TC values are much lower than current European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) default values. This project addresses a data gap identified by EFSA for specific EU TC values to permit more realistic and reliable re-entry worker exposure estimates for grapes.

American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Summit: Summary of the Meeting May 17-18, 2022.

On May 17-18, 2022, the ACR and the FDA co-sponsored a public meeting to address topics of mutual interest and importance in assessing long-term safety and clinical efficacy, as well as novel approaches to clinical trials in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). During the two-day consensus-building summit, rheumatologists, other health care professionals, and FDA staff provided a broad perspective on current clinical development challenges and potential approaches to address them. Key takeaways are summarized in this document, including issues related to innovative clinical trial designs, use of novel outcome measures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and use of innovative approaches to collecting data including registries and digital health technology (DHT).

Caffeine quantification in dietary supplements using high-throughput on-line solid phase extraction coupled to Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry.

Caffeine is present in a large number of beverages and is an additive used in dietary supplements. Therefore, the concern about its quality and safety for consumers has been increasing and hence requires faster and simpler analytical methods to determine the caffeine amount. The high-throughput analysis is an appropriate solution to pharmaceuticals, bioanalysis, forensic and food laboratory routines. In this sense, Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (V-EASI-MS), a specific ambient ionization source, is suitable to enable direct analysis of sample solutions in real time and is appropriate to be coupled to liquid chromatography (LC). The development of an on-line solid phase extraction system coupled to V-EASI-MS optimizes the advantages of LC-MS hyphenation by enhancing the figures of merit of the analytical method according to AOAC guidelines and simultaneously minimizing the runtime analysis to 1.5 min per sample, as well as sample preparation steps and solvent consumption, which is currently a challenge for quantitative applications of ambient ionization MS.

Fortified Dual-Spectral Overlap with Enhanced Colorimetric/Fluorescence Dual-Response Immunochromatography for On-Site Bimodal-Type Gentamicin Monitoring.

Immunochromatography (ICA) remains untapped toward enhanced sensitivity and applicability for fulfilling the nuts and bolts of on-site food safety surveillance. Herein, we report a fortified dual-spectral overlap with enhanced colorimetric/fluorescence dual-response ICA for on-site bimodal-type gentamicin (Gen) monitoring by employing polydopamine (PDA)-coated AuNPs (APDA) simultaneously serving as a colorimetric reporter and a fluorescence quencher. Availing of the enhanced colorimetric response that originated from the PDA layer, the resultant APDA exhibits less required antibody and immunoprobes in a single immunoassay, which facilitates improved antibody utilization efficiency and immuno-recognition in APDA-ICA. Further integrated with the advantageous features of fortified excitation and emission dual-spectral overlap for the Arg/ATT-AuNCs, this APDA-ICA with a "turn on/off" pattern achieves the visual limits of detection of 1.0 and 0.5 ng mL-1 for colorimetric and fluorescence patterns (25- and 50-fold lower than standard AuNPs-ICA). Moreover, the excellent self-calibration and satisfactory recovery of 79.03-118.04% were shown in the on-site visual colorimetric-fluorescence analysis for Gen in real environmental media (including real river water, an urban aquaculture water body, an aquatic product, and an animal byproduct). This work provides the feasibility of exploiting fortified dual-spectral overlap with an enhanced colorimetric/fluorescence dual response for safeguarding food safety and public health.

STM1863, a Member of the DUFs Protein Family, Is Involved in Environmental Adaptation, Biofilm Formation, and Virulence in Salmonella Typhimurium.

Salmonella Typhimurium (STM) is an important zoonotic Gram-negative pathogen that can cause infection in a variety of livestock and poultry. Meanwhile, as an important foodborne pathogen, the bacterium can survive in various stressful environments and transmits through the fecal-oral route, posing a serious threat to global food safety. To investigate the roles of STM1863, a member of the DUFs protein family, involved in STM environmental adaptation, biofilm formation, and virulence. We analyzed the molecular characteristics of the protein encoded by STM1863 gene and examined intra- and extracellular expression levels of STM1863 gene in mouse macrophages. Furthermore, we constructed STM1863 gene deletion and complementation strains and determined its environmental adaptation under stressful conditions such as acid, alkali, high salt, bile salt, and oxidation. And the capacity of biofilm formation and pathogenicity of those strains were analyzed and compared. In addition, the interaction between the promoter of STM1863 gene and RcsB protein was analyzed using DNA gel electrophoresis migration assay (electrophoretic mobility shift assay [EMSA]). The experiments revealed that acid adaptability and biofilm formation ability of STM1863 gene deletion strain were significantly weakened compared with the parental and complementary strains. Moreover, the adhesion and invasion ability of STM1863 deletion strain to mouse macrophages was significantly decreased, while the median lethal dose (LD50) increased by 2.148-fold compared with the parental strain. In addition, EMSA confirmed that RcsB protein could bind to the promoter sequence of STM1863 gene, suggesting that the expression of STM1863 gene might be modulated by RcsB. The present study demonstrated for the first time that STM1863, a member of the DUFs protein family, is involved in the modulation of environmental adaptation, biofilm formation, and virulence.

Neuroprotective effects of chlorogenic acid against oxidative stress in rats subjected to lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus.

Epilepsy is a condition marked by sudden, self-sustained, and recurring brain events, showcasing unique electro-clinical and neuropathological phenomena that can alter the structure and functioning of the brain, resulting in diverse manifestations. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) can be very effective in 30% of patients in controlling seizures. Several factors contribute to this: drug resistance, individual variability, side effects, complexity of epilepsy, incomplete understanding, comorbidities, drug interactions, and no adherence to treatment. Therefore, research into new AEDs is important for several reasons such as improved efficacy, reduced side effects, expanded treatment options, treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy, improved safety profiles, targeted therapies, and innovation and progress. Animal models serve as crucial biological tools for comprehending neuronal damage and aiding in the discovery of more effective new AEDs. The utilization of antioxidant agents that act on the central nervous system may serve as a supplementary approach in the secondary prevention of epilepsy, both in laboratory animals and potentially in humans. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a significant compound, widely prevalent in numerous medicinal and food plants, exhibiting an extensive spectrum of biological activities such as neuroprotection, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects, among others. In this research, we assessed the neuroprotective effects of commercially available CGA in Wistar rats submitted to lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) model. After 72-h induction of SE, rats received thiopental and were treated for three consecutive days (1st, 2nd, and 3rd doses). Next, brains were collected and studied histologically for viable cells in the hippocampus with staining for cresyl-violet (Nissl staining) and for degenerating cells with Fluoro-Jade C (FJC) staining. Moreover, to evaluate oxidative stress, the presence of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was quantified. Rats administered with CGA (30 mg/kg) demonstrated a significant decrease of 59% in the number of hippocampal cell loss in the CA3, and of 48% in the hilus layers after SE. A significant reduction of 75% in the cell loss in the CA3, shown by FJC+ staining, was also observed with the administration of CGA (30 mg/kg). Furthermore, significant decreases of 49% in MDA production and 72% in the activity of SOD were seen, when compared to animals subjected to SE that received vehicle. This study introduces a novel finding: the administration of CGA at a dosage of 30 mg/kg effectively reduced oxidative stress induced by lithium-pilocarpine, with its effects lasting until the peak of neural damage 72 h following the onset of SE. Overall, the research and development of new AEDs are essential for advancing epilepsy treatment, improving patient outcomes, and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with epilepsy.

[Evidence map analysis of randomized controlled trial of commonly used Chinese patent medicines in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in recent five years].

This study systematically combed the randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese patent medicines in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) in recent five years by using the method of evidence map. It understood the distribution and quality of evidence in this field and found the existing Chinese patent medicines in treatment of T2DM and the problems in its research. The study collected the commonly used Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of T2DM from three drug catalogs, retrieved Chinese and English databases to obtain RCT literature related to Chinese patent medicines in recent five years, and extracted information such as sample size, study drug, combination medication, course of treatment, and outcome indicators from the literature. It also conducted quality evaluation based on the Cochrane collaborative network bias risk assessment tool and used charts to display the analysis results. A total of 19 kinds of Chinese patent medicines are collected, of which 13 kinds of Chinese patent medicines are mentioned in 131 articles related to RCT. The literature concerning Shenqi Jiangtang Capsules/Granules, Jinlida Granules, and Xiaoke Pills accounts for a large proportion. Outcome indicators include blood glucose, blood lipids, pancreatic islet cell function, and clinical symptoms. In terms of literature quality, 75 articles have correct random methods, and 1 article performs allocation hiding and blind methods. Therefore, the clinical orientation of Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of T2DM is broad, failing to reflect their own characteristics and lacking safety information. Insufficient attention has been paid to TCM syndrome scores, quality of life, and blood lipid outcome indicators that reflect the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The number of studies on the treatment of T2DM by Chinese patent medicines varies greatly among varieties, and the quality of the studies is low. It is suggested that the holders of the marketing license of T2DM Chinese patent medicines should carry out a post-marketing re-evaluation of the varieties of traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating T2DM according to the relevant requirements of the State Food and Drug Administration, standardize the clinical positioning, and revise and improve the safety information in the instructions. It is recommended that researchers construct a core indicator dataset for Chinese patent medicine treatment of T2DM, improve the efficacy evaluation system, and develop an experimental plan based on CONSORT before conducting RCT.

MOF-based Ag NPs/Co3O4 nanozyme for colorimetric detection of thiophanate-methyl based on analyte-enhanced sensing mechanism.

Silver nanoparticles supported on metal-organic framework (ZIF-67)-derived Co3O4 nanostructures (Ag NPs/Co3O4) were synthesized via a facile in situ reduction strategy. The resulting materials exhibited pH-switchable peroxidase/catalase-like catalytic activity. Ag NP doping greatly enhanced the catalytic activity of Ag NPs/Co3O4 towards 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation and H2O2 decomposition which were 59 times (A652 of oxTMB) and 3 times (A240 of H2O2) higher than that of ZIF-67, respectively. Excitingly, thiophanate-methyl (TM) further enhanced the peroxidase-like activity of Ag NPs/Co3O4 nanozyme due to the formation of Ag(I) species in TM-Ag NPs/Co3O4 and generation of more radicals resulting from strong interaction between Ag NPs and TM. The TM-Ag NPs/Co3O4 nanozyme exhibited lower Km and higher Vmax values towards H2O2 when compared with Ag NPs/Co3O4 nanozyme. A simple, bioelement-free colorimetric TM detection method based on Ag NPs/Co3O4 nanozyme via analyte-enhanced sensing strategy was successfully established with high sensitivity and selectivity. Our study demonstrated that hybrid noble metal NPs/MOF-based nanozyme can be a class of promising artificial nanozyme in environmental and food safety applications.