Bisphenol A contamination in aquatic environments: a review of sources, environmental concerns, and microbial remediation.

The production of polycarbonate, a high-performance transparent plastic, employs bisphenol A, which is a prominent endocrine-disrupting compound. Polycarbonates are frequently used in the manufacturing of food, bottles, storage containers for newborns, and beverage packaging materials. Global production of BPA in 2022 was estimated to be in the region of 10 million tonnes. About 65-70% of all bisphenol A is used to make polycarbonate plastics. Bisphenol A leaches from improperly disposed plastic items and enters the environment through wastewater from plastic-producing industries, contaminating, sediments, surface water, and ground water. The concentration BPA in industrial and domestic wastewater ranges from 16 to 1465 ng/L while in surface water it has been detected 170-3113 ng/L. Wastewater treatment can be highly effective at removing BPA, giving reductions of 91-98%. Regardless, the remaining 2-9% of BPA will continue through to the environment, with low levels of BPA commonly observed in surface water and sediment in the USA and Europe. The health effects of BPA have been the subject of prolonged public and scientific debate, with PubMed listing more than 17,000 scientific papers as of 2023. Bisphenol A poses environmental and health hazards in aquatic systems, affecting ecosystems and human health. While several studies have revealed its presence in aqueous streams, environmentally sound technologies should be explored for its removal from the contaminated environment. Concern is mostly related to its estrogen-like activity, although it can interact with other receptor systems as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. Present review article encompasses the updated information on sources, environmental concerns, and sustainable remediation techniques for bisphenol A removal from aquatic ecosystems, discussing gaps, constraints, and future research requirements.

Before the scalpel: Exploring surgical residents' preoperative preparatory strategies.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to increase understanding of preoperative preparatory strategies utilised by senior surgical residents and identify how social and material forces come together to shape practice. SUMMARY/BACKGROUND DATA: Preoperative preparation can play a powerful role in operative learning. Residents rarely receive guidance, feedback, or explicit expectations on how to prepare for the OR. Understanding current practice and how to support preoperative preparation represents an important gap in our efforts to improve surgical training. METHODS: Constructivist grounded theory with sensitizing concepts from sociomateriality guided data collection and analysis. Fifteen senior surgical residents from a range of surgical disciplines were purposefully sampled and participated in an in-depth individual interview. Two return-of-finding focus groups followed with seven residents. Rigor was enhanced through constant comparison, theoretical sampling, pursuit of discrepant data, and investigator triangulation. RESULTS: Residents utilised a range of strategies addressing four areas of focus: develop technical skills, improve procedural knowledge, enhance patient-specificity, and know surgical preferences. However, residents also described receiving limited guidance on what it means to 'be prepared' and experience significant challenges in achieving preparedness. A mix of social and material things that enabled or constrained preparatory efforts influenced individual strategies. These included rotation structure, relationships, the OR list, and time. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings offer possible solutions by elaborating on preparatory variability and considerations for residents, faculty, and programs to improve practice. As a first step, we suggest programs begin to engage in explicit dialogue and reflection with their residents, faculty, and residency program committees.

Spatial and temporal changes in the expression of steroid hormone receptors in mouse model of endometriosis.

PURPOSE: Endometriosis is recognized as a steroid hormone-dependent disorder. However, controversies exist regarding the status of the steroid hormone receptor expression in endometriotic tissues. The purpose of this study was to determine the ontogeny of cellular changes in the expression of estrogen receptors (ERα, ERß), G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), and progesterone receptors (PRs) in endometriosis using a mouse model. METHODS: We used the autologous uterine tissue transfer mouse model and studied the mRNA and protein expression of ERα, ERß, GPER1, and PR in ectopic lesions at 2, 4, and 8 weeks of induction of endometriosis. RESULT: As compared to endometrium of controls, in the ectopic endometrium, ERα is reduced while ERß was elevated in stromal cells; however, Gper1 and PR levels are reduced in both stromal and epithelial cells in a time-specific manner. There is a high inter-animal variation in the levels of these receptors in ectopic endometrium as compared to controls; the levels also varied by almost 100-fold within the same lesion resulting in "micro-heterogeneity." The expression of all these receptors also deferred between two lesions from the same animal. CONCLUSION: In the endometriotic tissue, there is extensive inter-animal and intra-lesion heterogeneity in the expression of ERα, ERß, GPER1, and PR. These changes are not due to the influence of the peritoneal environment but appear to be tissue intrinsic. We propose that the variable outcomes in hormonal therapy for endometriosis could be possibly due to heterogeneity in the expression of steroid hormone receptors in the ectopic endometrium.

A sustainable process for adsorptive removal of methylene blue onto a food grade mucilage: kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium evaluation.

Adsorption of dyes onto natural materials like polysaccharides is considered a green chemistry approach for remediation of wastewater. In this work, the polysaccharide isolated from the corm of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott or taro tuber (CEM) was utilized for removing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution by batch adsorption method. The CEM adsorbent was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The solution pH and adsorbent dose have been found to have a significant positive correlation with the adsorptive removal efficiency of CEM for MB dye. The removal efficiency of CEM was found to be 72.35% under the optimum conditions; 20 mg/L initial concentration of dye, 120 mg of adsorbent dose, solution pH 8.5, 311.2 K temperature and 80 min contact time. The adsorption of MB onto CEM followed best the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption was thermodynamically favorable and was endothermic in nature. The desorption/adsorption data justifiably indicated the reuse capability of CEM adsorbent for MB adsorption. Hence, CEM may be regarded as an eco-friendly and cost-effective natural adsorbent for MB dye removal from aqueous solution.

Protective effects of Butea frondosa leaves against stress induced immune impairment in sprague dawley rats.

Stress is thought to impair immune function through emotional or behavioral manifestations thus the present study was done to assessed the effect of ethanolic extract of Butea frondosa (BF) leaves on behaviour, immunomodulatory activity and brain acetyl cholinesterase activity in normal and stress induced male rats. Neuroprotective effects of BF, doses (100,200,400mg/kg p.o) were measured by assessing the changes in the behaviour and the immunity of the rats. In stress control, the results indicated that the retention transfer latency, time spent in a closed arm, agglutination, total leukocytes counts (TLC), total paw edema ,size of spleen , decreased significantly (p<0.01) while glucose level, size of the kidney and the liver, AChE activity increased significantly (p<0.01) in comparison with normal control. In BF (200mg/kg) treated rats, the results indicated that the time spent in a closed arm (p<0.01), agglutination (p<0.01), TLC (p<0.01), total paw edema (p<0.05), size of spleen(p<0.01), increased significantly while glucose level (p<0.01), size of the kidney and the liver (p<0.01), AChE activity (p<0.01) decreased significantly in comparison with stress control. This study therefore concluded that the ethanolic extract of BF (200mg/kg) showed a protective effect against the stress induced impaired immune system and the psychological disorders.

Microwave synthesis, characterization, and bio-efficacy of novel halogenated Schiff bases.

A new series of halogenated Schiff bases was synthesized by the condensation of 5-fluoro-2-hydroxy acetophenone and 3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxy acetophenone with different alkyl amines, namely propyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, and octadecyl amines, under microwave irradiation. Newly formed molecules were characterized by Infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR and (13)C NMR) spectroscopic techniques. Further, the Schiff bases were screened for antifungal bioassay, and the results showed potential fungicidal activity against two very important plant infecting fungi, viz. Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii. Among the screened compounds, 2,4-dichloro-2-[1-(propylimino)ethyl]phenol was found to be the most active compound against both R. solani (ED50 8.02 mg L(-1)) and S. rolfsii (ED50 21.51 mg L(-1)) followed by 2,4-dichloro-2-[1-(pentylimino) ethyl]phenol (ED50 13.02 and 29.57 mg L(-1), respectively). The synthesized compounds were also screened for antioxidant activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-free radical scavenging technique. All the compounds showed very low to moderate activity as compared with Gallic acid.

Development of gluten free biscuits utilizing fruits and starchy vegetable powders.

Gluten free biscuits, also suitable during fasting were developed utilizing different levels of fruits (water chestnut and makhana) and starchy vegetable (potato) powders. Biscuits were developed using creamery method and evaluated for physical properties, proximate composition, sensory characteristics and storability for 90 days at room temperature. Expansion in diameter of biscuits with different level of potato and makhana powder varied between 1.026 to 1.059 and 1.046 to 1.059, respectively as compared to 1.075 for biscuits prepared using water chestnut only. Breaking hardness and toughness of different biscuit was increased with increasing level of potato or makhana powder in flour blends and higher in potato powder incorporated biscuits. Whiteness (L values) of biscuits was decreased with increasing level of potato powder while a reverse trend was observed in case of makhana powder incorporated biscuits. Protein content in biscuits with makhana powder was higher than the biscuits prepared using potato powder in flour blends. Biscuits prepared using hundred percent water chestnut showed the maximum crude fibre content in them. Results indicated that gluten free biscuits for fasting people can be prepared using potato powder or makhana powder up to 50 % with water chestnut powder. The overall sensory acceptability of biscuits with makhana powder was better than for biscuits with potato powder with maximum overall acceptability scores for biscuits developed using 70:30 parts of water chestnut and makhana powders in flour blend, which were storable for 90 days period at room temperature.

Linalool: Therapeutic Indication And Their Multifaceted Biomedical Applications.

This comprehensive review endeavors to illuminate the nuanced facets of linalool, a prominent monoterpene found abundantly in essential oils, constituting a massive portion of their composition. The biomedical relevance of linalool is a key focus, highlighting its therapeutic attributes observed through anti-nociceptive effects, anxiolytic properties, and behavioral modulation in individuals affected by dementia. These findings underscore the compound's potential application in biomedical applications. This review further explores contemporary formulations, delineating the adaptability of linalool in nano-emulsions, microemulsions, bio-capsules, and various topical formulations, including topical gels and lotions. This review covers published and granted patents between 2018-2024 and sheds light on the evolving landscape of linalool applications, revealing advancements in dermatological, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial domains.

Angioid Streaks and Choroidal Neovascular Membrane Secondary to Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum: A Case Report.

Angioid streaks (AS) are recognized as irregular, linear dehiscences of Bruch's membrane, often associated with systemic diseases. We present the case of a 50-year-old woman initially diagnosed with AS during a routine optometric examination. Subsequent ophthalmological evaluation revealed bilateral AS with calcified drusen. Two years post-diagnosis, she developed blurred vision in her right eye due to the choroidal neovascular membrane adjacent to the macular AS. Further evaluation uncovered clinical signs consistent with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), including characteristic skin lesions. A multidisciplinary approach involving ophthalmology, dermatology, and cardiovascular specialists was initiated. Histopathological confirmation of PXE was obtained through a skin biopsy. PXE, an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elastin calcification, presents systemic manifestations necessitating comprehensive evaluation and monitoring. This case demonstrates the importance of recognizing ocular complications in PXE and advocates for early multidisciplinary intervention to mitigate potential vision and life-threatening outcomes.

Preclinical Safety Assessment of Lepidium sativum L. Seed Extract and its Nanoparticles via Acute and Subacute Oral Administration.

BACKGROUND: Lepidium sativum (LS) seed extract has various pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anticancer activities. However, the translation of L. sativum seed extract to the clinical phase is still tedious due to its bioavailability and stability issues. This problem can be solved by encapsulating it in a nanodelivery system to improve its therapeutic potency. METHODS: In this study, we have determined and compared the in vivo toxicity of ethanolic extracts of L. sativum seeds (EELS) and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). To conduct toxicity (acute and subacute toxicity) assessments, EELS and SLNs were orally administered to Swiss albino mice. Animal survival, body weight, the weight of vital organs in relation to body weight, haematological profile, biochemistry profile, and histopathological alterations were examined. RESULTS: Animals administered with 2000 mg/kg and 5000 mg/kg in an acute toxicity study exhibited no toxicological symptoms regarding behaviour, gross pathology, and body weight. As per a study on acute toxicity, the LD50 (lethal dose) for SLNs and EELS was over 400 mg/kg and over 5000 mg/kg, respectively. When animals were given SLNs (50 and 100 mg/kg, orally) and EELS (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, orally) for 28 days, subacute toxicity study did not exhibit any clinical changes. There were no differences in weight gain, haematological parameters, or biochemical parameters compared to the control groups (p > 0.05). The organs of the treated animals showed no abnormalities in the histological analysis (liver, heart, kidney, and spleen). CONCLUSION: The result confirms ethanolic extracts of L. sativum seeds and their SLNs to not have harmful effects following acute and subacute administration to mice. For further studies, patents available on Lepidium may be referred for its preclinical and clinical applications.

Protective Assessment of Novel (Bncs Formulation) against Brain Tumor.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress refers to non-homeostatic elevation within intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and is associated with several neuro-related pathological conditions. Diclofenac is a commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for treating aches and pain by reducing inflammation. Diclofenac is also associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death by altering the homeostatic balance within mitochondria. In the present report, the neuroprotective effects of BNC formulation constituted by Bacopa monnieri leaves, Nigella sativa and Curcuma longa rhizome seeds were investigated. METHODS: The synthesized formulation was characterized using FT-IR and LC-MS along with organoleptic evaluation. Thereafter neuroprotective efficacy of BNC formulation was subsequently investigated against Diclofenac-induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells. The cells were pretreated with synthesized formulation and subsequently evaluated for amelioration in Diclofenac-induced cytotoxicity, and ROS augmentation. The neuroprotective effect of synthesized formulation was further explored by evaluating the changes in nuclear morphology, and apoptosis alleviation with concomitant regulatory effects on caspase-3 and -9 activation. RESULTS: Diclofenac was found to be considerably cytotoxic against human neuroblastoma SHSY5Y cells. Intriguingly, Diclofenac-mediated toxicity was reduced significantly in SH-SY5Y cells pretreated with BNC formulation. Augmented ROS levels within Diclofenac-treated SHSY5Y cells were also reduced in the BNC formulation pretreated SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, BNC formulation pretreated SH-SY5Y cells also exhibited reduced dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-3 and -9, along with apoptosis after Diclofenac treatment. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that, indeed, Diclofenac induces considerable ROSmediated apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells, which further intriguingly ameliorated Diclofenacmediated cytotoxic effects on SH-SY5Y cells. This manuscript further collected information about available National and International patents published or granted in preparation of and thereof applications against motor and non-motor brain dysfunctions.

Development of a standardized Canadian undergraduate medical education ophthalmology curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: To create a standardized undergraduate medicine ophthalmology curriculum for Canadian medical schools. DESIGN: Two-stage modified Delphi technique. PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate ophthalmology leads at all the medical schools in Canada and 6 nonophthalmologist physicians with medical education expertise. METHODS: In stage 1, a preliminary list of curricular objectives was developed using the 2018 Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology's list of curricular objectives as a foundation. Subsequently, an online survey was sent to 24 individuals (18 ophthalmology undergraduate curriculum leads and 6 non-ophthalmology medical educators) at 17 institutions to evaluate the objectives using a 5-point Likert-type scale. In stage 2, the ophthalmology curriculum leads were invited to participate in a virtual meeting during which the list of curricular objectives was discussed and finalized by consensus. RESULTS: In stage 1, a preliminary list of 76 learning objectives organized into 10 overarching topics was developed. A total of 21 survey responses were received (87.5% response rate), allowing for the creation of a revised list. In stage 2, five participants from four schools met, achieving consensus following one round of feedback. The final undergraduate ophthalmology curriculum contained 10 topics and 75 objectives; it covered common presentations of a variety of acute and chronic eye diseases that were felt to be relevant to a wide medical audience. CONCLUSIONS: The consensus obtained on a comprehensive list of undergraduate medicine ophthalmology curricular objectives identified in this study is the first of its kind in Canada. These objectives can be used by medical schools across Canada to standardize undergraduate ophthalmology teaching.

Mitigation of cashew apple fruits astringency.

The cashew apple is a tropical pseudo fruit, with high fiber content, high nutritional value, and therapeutic compositional profile. Consuming cashew apples can help with several health-related problems, such as obesity, stomach ulcers, and gastritis. It has even demonstrated anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic effects, and its antioxidants can help with wound-healing. Despite such benefits, the cashew apple is frequently considered as waste generated by cashew nut industries, since its commercial applications are restricted by the astringency and poor storability. This astringency is primarily due to the presence of tannins; and a lack of proper, efficient, and economical astringency reduction strategy is accountable for major waste generation. This review compiles pieces of information on the causes of astringency, as well as tannin reduction methods, such as clarification, thermal treatments, microfiltration, and fermentation. These methods aim to either just reduce tannin content or to valorize this by-product in a less-astringent better product. Both routes will eventually help with the better utilization of said organic food waste, which is critical for sustainable development.

Phytochemical Estimation and Therapeutic Amelioration of Aesculus hippocastanum L. Seeds Ethanolic Extract in Gastric Ulcer in Rats Possibly by Inhibiting Prostaglandin Synthesis.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify phytochemicals using liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy (LCMS) analysis and explore the therapeutic effect of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (AH) seeds ethanolic extract against gastric ulcers in rats. METHODS: Preliminary phytochemical testing and LCMS analysis were performed according to standard methods. For treatment, the animals were divided into 7 groups including normal control, ulcer control, self-healing, AH seeds low and high doses, ranitidine and per se groups. Rats were orally administered with 10 mg/kg of indomethacin, excluding the normal control group (which received 1% carboxy methyl cellulose) and the per se group (received 200 mg/kg AH seeds extract). The test group rats were then given 2 doses of AH seeds extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively), while the standard group was given ranitidine (50 mg/kg). On the 11th day, rats in all groups were sacrificed, and their stomach was isolated to calculate the ulcer index, and other parameters such as blood prostaglandin (PGE2), tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH). All isolated stomach tissues were analyzed for histopathological findings. RESULTS: The phytochemical examination shows that the AH seeds contain alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic components, and glycosides. LCMS analysis confirms the presence of quercetin and rutin. The AH seeds extract showed significant improvement in gastric mucosa conditions after indomethacin-induced gastric lesions (P<0.01). Further marked improvement in blood PGE2 and antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT, MDA and GSH, were observed compared with self-healing and untreated ulcer-induced groups (P<0.01). Histopathology results confirmed that AH seeds extract improved the mucosal layer and gastric epithelial membrane in treated groups compared to untreated ulcer-induced groups. CONCLUSIONS: LCMS report confirms the presence of quercetin and rutin in AH seeds ethanolic extract. The therapeutic effect of AH seeds extract against indomethacin-induced ulcer in rat model indicated the regenerated membrane integrity, with improved cellular functions and mucus thickness. Further, improved antioxidant enzyme level would help to reduce PGE2 biosynthesis.

Phytopharmaceuticals and Herbal Approaches to Target Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Neurodegeneration is characterized as the continuous functional and structural loss of neurons, resulting in various clinical and pathological manifestations and loss of functional anatomy. Medicinal plants have been oppressed from ancient years and are highly considered throughout the world as a rich source of therapeutic means for the prevention, treatment of various ailments. Plant-derived medicinal products are becoming popular in India and other nations. Further herbal therapies shows good impact on chronic long term illnesses including degenerative conditions of neurons and brain. The use of herbal medicines continues to expand rapidly across the world. The active phytochemical constituents of individual plants are sometimes insufficient to achieve the desirable therapeutic effects. Combining the multiple herbs in a particular ratio (polyherbalism) will give a better therapeutic effect and reduce toxicity. Herbal-based nanosystems are also being studied as a way to enhance the delivery and bioavailability of phytochemical compounds for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This review mainly focuses on the importance of the herbal medicines, polyherbalism and herbal-based nanosystems and its clinical significance for neurodegenerative diseases.

Therapeutic Application, Phytoactives and Pharmacology of Tinospora cordifolia: An Evocative Review.

Tinospora cordifolia (Guduchi or Gurjo), a herbaceous vine or climbing deciduous shrub, is consider as an important medicine in the Ayurvedic system of medication, which is available in India, China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Srilanka. Menispermaceae is the family of this compound. T. cordifolia have a variety of properties to treat various ailments such as fevers, jaundice, diabetes, dysentery, urinary infections, and skin diseases. This compound has been subjected to many chemicals, pharmacological, pre-clinical, or clinical investigations and some new therapeutic potential effects have been indicated. This review aims to summarize the critical information concerning in areas of chemical constituents, chemical structure, and pharmacokinetic activities such as anti-diabetic, anticancer, immune-modulatory, antivirus (especially in silico study about COVID-19), antioxidant, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective and its effect on cardiovascular and neurological disorders as well as rheumatoid arthritis. This traditional herb needs more experimental study on the clinical, pre-clinical study, and clinical efficacy of these compounds for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and needs large-scale clinical studies to prove the clinical efficacy of this compound, especially in stress-related diseases and other neuronal disorders.

Protein Kinases and their Inhibitors Implications in Modulating Disease Progression.

Protein phosphorylation plays an important role in cellular pathways, including cell cycle regulation, metabolism, differentiation and survival. The protein kinase superfamily network consists of 518 members involved in intrinsic or extrinsic interaction processes. Protein kinases are divided into two categories based on their ability to phosphorylate tyrosine, serine, and threonine residues. The complexity of the system implies its vulnerability. Any changes in the pathways of protein kinases may be implicated in pathological processes. Therefore, they are regarded as having an important role in human diseases and represent prospective therapeutic targets. This article provides a review of the protein kinase inhibitors approved by the FDA. Finally, we summarize the mechanism of action of protein kinases, including their role in the development and progression of protein kinase-related roles in various pathological conditions and the future therapeutic potential of protein kinase inhibitors, along with links to protein kinase databases. Further clinical studies aimed at examining the sequence of protein kinase inhibitor availability would better utilize current protein kinase inhibitors in diseases. Additionally, this review may help researchers and biochemists find new potent and selective protein kinase inhibitors and provide more indications for using existing drugs.

Loss of HOXA10 causes endometrial hyperplasia progressing to endometrial cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in women and the precursor lesion is endometrial hyperplasia. HOXA10 is a transcription factor that plays key roles in endometrial functions such as the endowment of receptivity, embryo implantation, and trophoblast invasion. Herein, using testicular transgenesis, we developed transgenic mice that expressed a shRNA against HOXA10 and there was a nearly 70% reduction in the expression of HOXA10 in these animals. We observed that downregulation of HOXA10 led to the development of endometrial hyperplasia in the young animals (3 months), and as they aged (>1 year), most animals developed well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma. In the endometrium of animals with reduced HOXA10, there was increased proliferation and elevated levels of ERα and ERß. In parallel, there was increased expression of Wnt4 and ß-Catenin, SOX9, and YAP1. We propose that chronic reduction in HOXA10 expression disrupts multiple pathways in the uterus that aids in the development of endometrial hyperplasia which progresses to endometrial cancer with age.