Decoding potential targets and pharmacologic mechanisms of curcumin in treating non-small cell lung carcinoma via bioinformatics and molecular docking.

Emerging evidence demonstrates that curcumin has an inhibitory effect on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its targets and mechanism of action need further exploration. The goal of this study was to explore the potential targets and mechanism of curcumin against NSCLC by network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and experimental validation, thereby providing more insight into combination treatment with curcumin for NSCLC in preclinical and clinical research. Curcumin targets against NSCLC were predicted based on HIT2.0, STD, CTD, and DisGeNET, and the core targets were analyzed via protein-protein interaction network construction (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and molecular docking. The gene expression levels of samples in A549 cells, NCI-H460, and curcumin treated groups were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. A total of 67 common targets between curcumin and NSCLC were collected by screening public databases. GO and KEGG analysis suggested that curcumin treatment of NSCLC mainly involves cancer-related pathways, such as PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, Foxo signaling pathway, microRNAs, MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, etc. The targets with the highest degree were identified through the PPI network, namely CASP3, CTNNB1, JUN, IL6, MAPK3, HIF1A, STAT3, AKT1, TP53, CCND1, VEGFA, and EGFR. The results of the in vitro experiments showed that curcumin treatment of NSCLC down-regulated the gene expressions of CCND1, CASP3, HIF1A, IL-6, MAPK3, STAT3, AKT1, and TP53. Our findings revealed that curcumin functions as a potential therapeutic candidate for NSCLC by suppressing multiple signaling pathways and interacting with multiple gene targets.

Microplastic accumulation and oxidative stress in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum Linn.): Role of the size effect.

Microplastics (MPs), which are widely dispersed in terrestrial environments, threaten crop growth and human food security. However, plant accumulation and phytotoxicity related to the size effects of MPs remain insufficiently explored. This study investigated the accumulation and toxicity of two sizes of MPs on Capsicum annuum Linn. (C. annuum) through fluorescence tracing and antioxidant defense system assessment. The results revealed that the size of MPs significantly impacts their accumulation characteristics in C. annuum roots, leading to variations in toxic mechanisms, including oxidative stress and damage. Smaller MPs and higher exposure concentrations result in more pronounced growth inhibition. C. annuum roots have a critical size threshold for the absorption of MPs of approximately 1.2 µm. MPs that enter the root tissue exhibit an aggregated form, with smaller-sized MPs displaying a greater degree of aggregation. MP exposure induces oxidative stress in root tissues, with high concentrations of smaller MPs causing lipid peroxidation. Analysis of the IBR values revealed that C. annuum roots utilize ascorbic acid (ASA) to prevent oxidative damage caused by larger MPs. Conversely, smaller MPs primarily induce superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH). These results emphasize the significant impact of MP size on plant antioxidant defense response mechanisms, laying the foundation for further investigating the implications for human health.

Suppression of performance of activated carbon filter due to residual aluminum accumulation.

Extending the lifetime of granular activated carbon (GAC) filters with no significant loss in their effectiveness is a considerable challenge for drinking water supply utilities. However, the effects of residual Al from coagulants on GAC performance are rarely considered. Herein, in-service GAC samples obtained from full-scale water treatment plants were investigated to evaluate the amount of accumulated Al. Although the Al concentration in water was two to three times lower than the Ca concentration, Al exhibited considerable accumulation (second to Ca accumulation) in in-service GAC samples (0.68-8.63 mg g-1). Surface characterization results indicated that Al accumulation could have been caused by the co-precipitation of Al with Ca and Si to form Ca4Al2Si3O10·H2O and Ca4Al6O12SO4, self-precipitation or complexion with -OH/-COOH on the GAC or biofilm surfaces. Correlation analysis of the accumulated Al and GAC properties implied that Al accumulation considerably reduced the surface area of GAC by ∼30%. Lab simulation experiments indicated that the removal of dissolved organic matter was reduced by 6-10% when additional Al was loaded. In addition, results showed that the residual Al (up to 200 µg L-1) considerably affected the extracellular polymeric substance component and microorganism community structure. In summary, strict control of residual Al is beneficial for maintaining the efficacies of GAC and biologically activated carbon.

Identification of factors influencing the microplastic distribution in agricultural soil on Hainan Island.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in agricultural soils, but to what extent and how environmental factors determine the source and fate of MPs in agricultural soils is not clear. In this study, Hainan Island, which has different climatic conditions, altitudes, and land uses across the island, was selected to investigate the MPs abundance and the shape, size, color, and polymer type of the MPs in agricultural soils. The main focus was on the role of land use type and the identification of environmental influencing factors. The results showed that MPs were detected in all the soil samples across the island, with an abundance range of 20 to 6790 items kg-1 and an average of 417 items kg-1. Fragments (46.8 %), MPs smaller than 0.5 mm (37.8 %), black MPs (48.3 %), and polypropylene MPs (56.8 %) were observed as the dominant MPs species. Significantly higher MPs abundance was found in mulched arable land, and higher contents of fibers and fragments were observed in woodland and paddy lands, respectively. With correlation and redundancy analyses, soil pH, soil organic matter content, and average annual temperature were found to be the main factors influencing the biotic/abiotic fragmentation of MPs. The regional population density, including tourism represented by the night light index, affects the input process of MPs. MPs transport and deposition were found to be affected by altitude, annual precipitation, and soil moisture content. This study represents the first large-scale study of MPs contamination in island agricultural soils and provides important data on the distribution, transport, and fate of MPs.

A Simple and Rapid Fluorescent Probe for Detection of Cr3+ Based on a Coumarin Schiff Base in Aqueous Solution.

A new Cr3+ probe was synthesized using simple Schiff base reaction, which showed prominent fluorescence increasing switch before and after addition Cr3+. The probe proved to have excellent properties, based on both UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra. Those properties included high switching performance, good selectivity, and small interference with other metal ions. The fluorescent change mechanism of the probe was attributed to the combined action between the restricted C=N isomerization and the suppression of highly efficient photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process. Moreover, this fluorescence probe for Cr3+ detection also has great potential for bioimaging of cancer cells.

The effects of estrone and 17ß-estradiol on microbial activity and bacterial diversity in an agricultural soil: sulfamethoxazole as a co-pollutant.

Estrogens and veterinary antibiotics (VAs) that are contained in animal excrements are spread into agricultural soil when using animal wastes on farmland. The impacts of VAs on soil health have already been well documented. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the influence of estrogens, particularly the combined effects of estrogens and VAs, on the soil microbial community. In this study, a short-term analysis (11 days) of the effect of the estrogens estrone and 17ß-estradiol on soil microbial activity and on bacterial community structure was performed using a dehydrogenase activity (DHA) test and a PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) assay, respectively. Meanwhile, the potential influence of the VA sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as a co-pollutant on the effects of estrogens was examined. It was found that (1) estrone and 17ß-estradiol biodegraded within hours in non-sterilized soil, even in the presence of up to 100mg/kg SMX. (2) Estrone or 17ß-estradiol alone markedly promoted soil DHA and stimulated the growth of partial bacteria strains, which were demonstrated as new or more intensive bands in DGGE profiles relative to the control treatment at the later incubation period. (3) The presence of SMX as a co-pollutant at concentrations of 10 and 100mg/kg removed the stimulatory effects of estrogens on soil DHA and significantly reduced the DHA level to below the level of the untreated control. SMX also depressed the appearance of bacterial bands that were stimulated by estrone or 17ß-estradiol alone. Moreover, the coexistence of SMX and estrogens induced additional bacterial bands, which may be tolerant strains. Overall, these results imply that the load of estrogens might serve as nutrient substances for soil microorganisms, whereas VAs as co-pollutants would cause a shift of these positive effects toward a significant threat to the natural soil microbial community. Therefore, the removal of VAs in animal waste is essential to ensure the safe use of animal waste in agricultural land.

[Excretion of manure-borne steroid hormones and their potential risk in the three northeast provinces of China].

The excretion of manure-borne steroid hormones, including estrogens and androgens in Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang province was estimated in this study on the basis of statistical data and by using the referenced estimation method in developed countries. In addition, the potential ecological risk of manure-borne steroid estrogens to local surface water systems from applying animal manure was preliminarily assessed. As a result of the rapid development of animal production, the excretions of manure-borne steroid hormones increased in all the three northeast provinces. In 2008, the emissions of total manure-borne estrogens and androgens increased by 2 272.7, 1 951.1 and 1 634.8 kg compared to those in 1998 in Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, respectively. Especially, the growth rates in the three capital cities of Shenyang, Changchun and Harbin were the fastest among their own provinces. The largest emissions of manure-borne steroid hormones, as well as the highest concentration of predicted estradiol equivalency (EEQs) in the surface water system were found in Liaoning province. According to the lowest observable effect concentration for 17beta-estradiol (10 ng x L(-1)) recommended by the Environmental Agency of United Kingdom, 17.1 ng x L(-1) of EEQs level in Liaoning province might have become a potential risk to local surface water systems.

Migration of natural estrogens around a concentrated dairy-feeding operation.

Concentrated animal feeding operations have been recognized as one of the most important contributors of natural estrogens which show significant endocrine-disrupting properties in aquatic environments. In this study, the concentrations of 17α-estradiol (17α-E2), 17ß-estradiol (17ß-E2), estrone (E1), and estriol (E3) in several matrices, including soils (surface and deep), sediments (surface and deep), and groundwaters, around a typical dairy farm were surveyed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Of the two farmlands, surface and subsurface sediments in waste lagoon and along effluent drainage drench, the concentrations of 17α-E2, 17ß-E2, and E1 ranged from below detection limit to the highest level of 6.60 µg/kg, except that E3 was not detectable. Three estrogens of 17α-E2, 17ß-E2, and E1 with the concentrations of 3.18-31.61 ng/L were observed in two groundwater samples. The results clearly demonstrated the vertical migration and horizontal transport of estrogens in the investigated area. Within 750-m distance, it was observed the attenuation of 17α-E2, 17ß-E2, and E1 along the effluent route and the horizontal migration of estrogens was less than 1,350 m in this survey.

Removal of direct dyes by coagulation: the performance of preformed polymeric aluminum species.

Removal of three direct dyes (Direct Black 19, Direct Red 28, and Direct Blue 86) by coagulation with three different Al based coagulants was investigated. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the coagulation features of polymeric aluminum coagulants in treatment of dye-polluted waters and the emphasis was placed on the roles of preformed Al species, particularly Al(13). The performance of Al(13) in coagulation of dyes was observed through jar tests by comparing traditional Al salt, polyaluminum chloride (PACl), and purified Al(13). The results showed that under most cases Al(13) had significantly higher efficiency in removal of direct dyes than traditional Al salt and commercial PACl with the exception of Direct Red 28 removal under high pH range. The coagulation of direct dyes could be greatly affected by pH. Reducing pH was favorable for preformed Al species in a broad pH range. For traditional Al coagulant, efficient dye removal only occurred in a relatively narrow pH range of near 6.0. The outstanding coagulation behavior of Al(13) could be ascribed to its high charge neutralization ability, relative stability and potential self-assembly tendency.