Rapid identification of herbal toxins using electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry for emergency care.

The unintentional ingestion of toxic compounds in herbs is not uncommon in many parts of the world. To provide timely and life-saving care in the emergency department, it is essential to develop a point-of-care analytical method that can rapidly identify these toxins in herbs. Since electrospray laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (ELDI/MS) has been successfully used to characterize non-volatile chemical compounds without sample preparation, it was used to identify toxic herbal compounds in this study. The herbal toxins were collected either by sweeping a metallic probe across the surface of a freshly cut herb section or by directly sampling extracts of ground herbal powder. The analytes on the probe were then desorbed, ionized and detected using ELDI/MS, wherein analysis of the herbal toxins was completed within 30 s. This approach allows for the rapid morphological recognition of herbs and early point-of-care identification of herbal toxins for emergency management and is promising in providing important toxicological information to ensure appropriate medical treatment.

Neurite growth could be impaired by ETFDH mutation but restored by mitochondrial cofactors.

INTRODUCTION: c.250G>A (p.Ala84Thr) in ETFDH is the most common mutation that causes later-onset multiple acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) in the southern Chinese population. No functional study has targeted this mutation. METHODS: Using cells expressing ETFDH-wild-type (WT) or ETFDH-mutant (p.Ala84Thr), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and neurite length were analyzed, followed by pathomechanism exploration and drug screening. RESULTS: Increased ROS production and marked neurite shortening were observed in the cells expressing the ETFDH-mutant, compared with WT. Further studies demonstrated that suberic acid, an accumulated intermediate metabolite in MADD, could significantly impair neurite outgrowth of NSC34 cells, but neurite shortening could be restored by supplementation with carnitine, riboflavin, or Coenzyme Q10. CONCLUSIONS: Neurite shortening caused by the c.250G>A mutation in ETFDH suggests that neural defects could be underdiagnosed in human patients with MADD. This impairment might be treatable with mitochondrial cofactor supplementation. Muscle Nerve 56: 479-485, 2017.

Magnesium, zinc, and chromium levels in children, adolescents, and young adults with type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Several trace elements are involved in insulin signal transduction and glucose metabolism. Our aim for this present study was to determine the levels of three important elements-magnesium, chromium, and zinc-as well as one oxidative stress marker-malondialdehyde (MDA)-in young type 1 diabetic patients at different periods of their growth, and to realize the relationships between trace elements, oxidative stress, and growth stages. METHODS: A total of 88 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in different growth stages and 76 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects were included in this study. The levels of MDA were measured through HPLC using a C-18 column. Zinc, magnesium, and chromium concentrations in serum were assessed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: We found higher levels of blood malondialdehyde (MDA; p < 0.001), significantly lower levels of magnesium (p < 0.001), and no differences in zinc and chromium levels (p = 0.153 and 0.515, respectively) in younger type 1 diabetic subjects relative to those of control subjects. Only 3.4% (3/88) of younger diabetic subjects exhibited hypomagnesemia; similar results were obtained when comparing different subgroups: children, adolescents, and adults. We also observed no differences in the levels of the three elements between the genders and among the growth stages (p > 0.05) of the diabetic subjects. There were no correlations between the three trace elements and HbA1C, diabetes duration, and insulin dose/BMI (all p > 0.05), but there was a significant difference between zinc levels and insulin dose/BMI (p = 0.043) in the diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: We found elevated blood MDA, decreased magnesium, and no changes in zinc and chromium levels in younger type 1 diabetic subjects relative to those of control subjects. Only 3.4% of younger diabetic subjects exhibited hypomagnesemia. Whether magnesium supplementation is suitable for improving insulin sensitivity and decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation will require confirmation through additional studies.

Quality assurance and safety of herbal dietary supplements.

Since the U.S. Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) in 1994, use of herbal products has been growing rapidly worldwide. To ensure consumer health protection, the quality and safety of herbal plants, particularly those used for dietary supplement preparations, must be determined. To date, toxicological data on the identification of genotoxic and tumorigenic ingredients in many raw herbs and their mechanisms of action are lacking. Thus, identification of carcinogenic components in herbal plants is timely and important. In this review, the issues of quality control and safety evaluation of raw herbs and herbal dietary supplements are discussed. Two examples of tumorigenicity and mechanism of tumor induction are discussed: aristolochic acid and riddelliine, both of which have been detected in Chinese herbal plants. It is proposed that an organized effort with international participation on cancer risk assessment should be actively pursued so that the safety of commercial herbal plants and herbal dietary supplements can be ensured.