Role of apigenin in targeting metabolic syndrome: A systematic review.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that has a high prevalence worldwide. Apigenin is a flavonoid present in several vegetables and fruits and has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-MetS properties. This study aims to systematically review the effects of apigenin against MetS and the relevant molecular and cellular mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics features, and potential structure-activity relationship. Electronic databases including Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct and Cochrane Library were searched for in vivo, and in vitro, and human studies with the following keywords: "apigenin" and "metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance syndrome", "fatty liver", "hypertension or blood pressure", "diabetes or blood glucose", "dyslipidemia", "heart or cardiovascular " and "obesity" in title/abstract. Data were collected from 2000 until 2021 (up to April). Only papers published in the English language were included. Forty-six full-text articles out of 1016 retrieved papers were reviewed and underwent quality assessment by investigators. Anti-obesity activity of apigenin is mainly through attenuating adipocyte differentiation by suppressing the mitotic clonal expansion and the adipogenesis-related factors. Its anti-diabetic effects can be exerted through inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase1B expression, maintaining the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes, reducing intracellular ROS production, cellular DNA damage, protein carbonylation, and attenuating ß-cell apoptosis. Moreover, apigenin could attenuate dyslipidemia and subsequent atherosclerotic conditions through down-regulating sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP)-1c, SREBP-2, stearyl-CoA desaturase-1, and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase. Apigenin as a dietary bioactive compound would be a promising candidate for improving MetS and its components.

A versatile theranostic magnetic polydopamine iron oxide NIR laser-responsive nanosystem containing doxorubicin for chemo-photothermal therapy of melanoma.

Theranostics nanoparticles (NPs) have recently received much attention in cancer imaging and treatment. This study aimed to develop a multifunctional nanosystem for the targeted delivery of photothermal and chemotherapy agents. Fe3O4 NPs were modified with polydopamine, bovine serum albumin, and loaded with DOX via a thermal-cleavable Azo linker (Fe3O4@PDA@BSA-DOX). The size of Fe3O4@PDA@BSA NPs was approximately 98 nm under the desired conditions. Because of the ability of Fe3O4 and PDA to convert light into heat, the temperature of Fe3O4@PDA@BSA NPs increased to approximately 47 °C within 10 min when exposed to an 808 nm NIR laser with a power density of 1.5 W/cm2. The heat generated by the NIR laser leads to the breaking of AZO linker and drug release. In vivo and in vitro results demonstrated that prepared NPs under laser irradiation successfully eradicated tumor cells without any significant toxicity effect. Moreover, the Fe3O4@PDA@BSA NPs exhibited the potential to function as a contrasting agent. These NPs could accumulate in tumors with the help of an external magnet, resulting in a significant enhancement in the quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The prepared novel multifunctional NPs seem to be an efficient system for imaging and combination therapy in melanoma.

The effectiveness of an online video-based group schema therapy in improvement of the cognitive emotion regulation strategies in women who have undergone bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Adaptive cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies toward eating play a very important role in obesity and according to schema therapy, patients with obesity learn that don't respond to their emotional stimuli by eating. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an online video-based group schema therapy in improvement of the CER strategies and body mass index (BMI) in women who had undergone bariatric surgery. METHODS: Forty women who had undergone sleeve gastrectomy were selected and randomly divided into two groups of control and experimental. The experimental group received 10 weekly 90-min sessions of group schema therapy, the control group did not receive any intervention at all. Both groups completed the CER strategies questionnaire during pre-test, post-test and follow-up stages, and the data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) through SPSS software (version 20). RESULTS: Our results indicated that the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher adaptive CER strategies (P = 0.0001, F = 31.15) and significantly lower maladaptive CER strategies (P = 0.001, F = 9.42), significantly lower BMI (P = 0.001, F = 23.48), as compared to the control condition, following the group schema therapy after the follow-up stage. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrated that group schema therapy could lead to an increases in adaptive CER strategies and a decrease in maladaptive CER strategies and BMI in women who had undergone bariatric surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT, IRCT20180523039802N2. Registered 5 August 2020, http://www.irct.com/IRCT20180523039802N2 .

Melanoma Cancer Therapy Using PEGylated Nanoparticles and Semiconductor Laser.

Purpose: Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a procedure that converts laser beam energy to heat so can disturb tumor cells. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have unique properties in absorption optical energy and could change optical power into heat in PTT procedures. Additionally, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) have a unique feature in absorbing and scattering light. Therefore, these mentioned NPs could play a synergistic role in the PTT method. Methods: CNTs and TiO2 NPs were injected into the melanoma tumor sites of cancerous mice. Then sites were excited using the laser beam (λ = 808 nm, P = 2 W, and I = 4 W/cm2). Injected NPs caused hyperthermia in solid tumors. Tumor size assay, statistical analysis, and histopathological study of the treated cases were performed to assess the role of mentioned NPs in PTT of murine melanoma cancer. Results: The results showed that CNTs performed better than TiO2 NPs in destroying murine melanoma cancer cells in animals. Conclusion: The present study compared the photothermal activity of excited CNTs and TiO2 NPs in cancer therapy at the near-infrared spectrum of light. Tumors were destroyed selectively because of their weakened heat resistance versus normal tissue. PTT of malignant melanoma through CNTs caused remarkable necrosis into the tumor tissues versus TiO2 NPs.

Bone Densitometry and Fat Index after Sleeve and Subsleeve Gastrectomy in Animal Model.

Background: Previous studies have reported that gastrectomy and fundectomy can induce osteopenia. Body fat index is a new index of obesity that shows central obesity and other risks of obesity. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a bariatric surgery and a new technique introduced as subsleeve, which only resected fundus of the stomach. In this study, it has been shown the effect of subsleeve and SG on fat index and bone densitometry in an animal model. Materials and Methods: Rabbits were underlined SG, fundectomy (surgical removal of fundus), or sham-operated (controls without any resection), and after 12 weeks, fat index and bone densitometry were obtained. Results: Our study showed that there was no significant difference between SG and fundectomy groups in bone mass density and fat mass after surgery in comparison with presurgery condition. SG group were associated with lower fat index and bone density, and it showed significantly decrease in weight after 1.5 months. Conclusion: Sub-SG did not show any significant effect on fat index and bone densitometry in comparison with SG. However, we found lower fat index in sleeve group of rabbits, but it was not statistically significant.

Ethnobotanical and phytochemical aspects of the edible herb Coriandrum sativum L.

Coriandrum sativum (coriander) is an edible herb in the family Apiaceae. The leaves, fruits, and stems of C. sativum have long been used as culinary spice due to their favorable odor. Traditional practitioners used this plant for treating different diseases like blepharitis, scabies, aphthous stomatitis, laryngitis, headache, and palpitation. In modern researches, coriander has demonstrated anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, antimigraine, neuroprotective, analgesic, diuretic, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. Coriander contains a wide range of bioactive phytochemicals among which phenylpropenes, terpenoids, isocoumarins, phytosterols, and fatty acids are the most important. This review provides information about the botanical and ethnobotanical aspects, chemical profile, therapeutic uses in Islamic traditional medicine (ITM), and recent pharmacological studies of coriander effects. The results have shown that coriander and its monoterpenoid compound, linalool, can be considered as potential drug candidates for treating metabolic syndrome and different inflammatory conditions especially neural and CNS diseases.

Raman imaging and MALDI-MS towards identification of microplastics generated when using stationery markers.

The characterisation of microplastics is still a challenge, particularly when the sample is a mixture with a complex background, such as an ink mark on paper. To address this challenge, we developed and compared two approaches, (i) Raman imaging, combined with logic-based and principal component analysis (PCA)-based algorithms, and (ii) matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). We found that, accordingly, (i) if the Raman signal of plastics is identifiable and not completely shielded by the background, Raman imaging can extract the plastic signals and visualise their distribution directly, with the help of a logic-based or PCA-based algorithm, via the "fingerprint" spectrum; (ii) when the Raman signal is shielded and masked by the background, MALDI-MS can effectively capture and identify the plastic polymer, via the "barcode" of the mass spectrum linked with the monomer. Overall, both Raman imaging and MALDI-MS have benefits and limitations for microplastic analysis; if accessible, the combined use of these two techniques is generally recommended, especially when assessing samples with strong background interference.

Development and Evaluation of Vaginal Suppository Containing Althaea officinalis L. Polysaccharide Extract

Abstract Intrauterine adhesions cause several gynecological problems. Althaea officinalis L. roots known as marshmallows contain polysaccharides (M.P.) which possess anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcerogenic activities also can form a bio-adhesive layer on damaged epithelial membranes prompting healing processes. Vaginal formulations of herbal origin are commonly applied to relieve cervico-uterine inflammation. Herein, we aim to develop and evaluate vaginal suppositories containing polysaccharides isolated from the A. officinalis root. Six formulations (four P.E.G.-based and two lipid-based suppositories containing 25% and 50% M.P.) met standard requirements, which were then subjected to qualitative and quantitative evaluation. All suppositories exhibited acceptable weights, hardness, content uniformity, melting point, and disintegration time, which fall within the acceptable recommended limits. Higher concentrations of M.P. in PEG-bases moderately increased the hardness (p<0.05). PEG-formulations showed content uniformity>90% of the average content while it was 75-83% for suppocire formulations. All formulations disintegrated in<30minutes. In-vitro release test revealed that M.P. release from 25%-MP formulations was higher than that of 50%-M.P. suppositories. Overall, results revealed the feasibility of preparing P.E.G.-or lipid-based suppositories containing M.P., which met the B.P. quality requirement

Behavior and fate of fungicide chlorothalonil in urban landscape soils and associated environmental concern.

This novel study investigated the behavior and fate of chlorothalonil in terms of kinetics, sorption‒desorption and leaching potential in urban landscape soils using batch experiments. The pseudo-second-order model well described the sorption kinetics of chlorothalonil in urban soils. Consequently, chlorothalonil was partitioned into heterogeneous surfaces of soil following the Freundlich isotherm model. According to PCA, soil organic matter (OM), silt, clay, and oxides of Al and Fe exhibited a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) with chlorothalonil Kd (P < 0.05), while sand content and soil pH showed a negative correlation at P < 0.05. In soils, decreased sorption of chlorothalonil was also due to the presence of undecomposed or partly decomposed OM, whereas increased sorption could be attributed to the combined effect of OM with C = O and C-H groups, silt, clay, Al and Fe oxides and hydrophobicity of the fungicide. Also, HI, GUS, LIX and Kd of four among nine urban soils indicated that chlorothalonil has a great potential for leaching into the groundwater from the soil surface, posing an unintended threat to non-target biota and food safety. Therefore, utmost care must be taken while applying chlorothalonil in urban landscapes, particularly on impervious surfaces, to minimize the impact on the ecosystem.

PEGylated Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Silver Nanoparticles: Fabrication, Cell Cytotoxicity and Application in Photo Thermal Therapy.

A new technique for cancer therapy is Photo Thermal Therapy (PTT). In the PTT technique, photon energy is converted into heat via various operations to destroy malignant tumors. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have good optical absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum and could transform optical energy into heat to induce hyperthermia in the PTT method. In this study, CNTs were firstly oxidized (O-CNT) and then decorated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was utilized for wrapping the surface of CNTs (O-CNT/Ag-PEG). Coating of CNTs with Ag NPs and PEG was confirmed by XRD, FESEM, and TEM techniques. Results demonstrated that noble metal could increase optical absorption of CNTs and concurrently improve the efficacy of the PTT technique. Cell cytotoxicity study showed that O-CNT/Ag NPs were less cytotoxic than O-CNTs, and O-CNT/Ag-PEG had the lowest toxicity against HeLa, HepG2, and PC3 human cell lines. The efficacy of O-CNT/Ag-PEG NPs in destroying malignant melanoma tumors was evaluated through the PTT technique. A continuous wave NIR laser diode (λ = 808 nm, P = 2 W, and I = 2 W/cm2) irradiated the tumor sites for 8 min once in the period of the treatment. The tumors in cases receiving O-CNT/Ag-PEG were shrunk efficiently compared to laser treatment ones. Results of in-vivo studies demonstrated that O-CNT/Ag-PEG was a puissant candidate in extirpating malignant tumors in PTT method.

Management of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder before Bariatric Surgery with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy During COVID-19.

This is a report about a 44-year-old woman, with morbid obesity (BMI = 43) who was a candidate for bariatric surgery (BS) in Mother and Child Hospital in Shiraz, Iran. She had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), so she refused surgery because she was afraid of getting the coronavirus. Psychiatric diagnostic interview and EyleBrown questionnaire that consists of 10 items were performed by a psychiatrist for the patient. After diagnosis of OCD, the patient underwent cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for 8 sessions. Results show that CBT is effective in reducing symptoms of OCD during COVID-19. Therefore, preoperative psychological interventions help increase patients' readiness for BS during COVID-19.

Exploring pH dependent delivery of 5-fluorouracil from functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can be applied for pH-sensitive delivery of anticancer drugs. Due to the importance of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in different tumor therapy regimens, it has been widely used in different pH dependent drug delivery systems. To investigate the pH effects on loading (and release) of 5-FU on (and from) the functionalized MWCNTs and propose the optimum condition for drug delivery, both macroscopic and microscopic studies were carried out using chromatography and molecular dynamic simulation at different conditions. For both levels of studies, different analytical approaches were performed to assess the validity of the methods. The experimental results revealed that 5-FU has more binding affinity to the surface of the nanocarrier at physiological pH (pH = 7.4) and showed more release at acidic conditions (pH = 5.0). Meanwhile it has been observed that basic pH (pH = 9.0) can lead to a dramatic decrease effect on loading of the drug. The results of this study can be used to suggest the optimum pH levels for nanocarbon based formulations of 5-FU in cancer therapy.

Chronic and Transgenerational Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations in Earthworms (Eisenia fetida).

Recently, soil contamination with microplastics has emerged as a serious global environmental concern that has necessitated more research on their potential impacts on soil biota. We investigated the acute and chronic toxicity of 2 different polystyrene microplastics, pure versus commercial (0-0.5% w/w in soil; sized 65-125 µm) on earthworm mortality, reproduction, and genotoxicity. Whereas the microplastics showed no acute toxicity in terms of mortality, reproduction was adversely affected in both parents (F0) and first filial generation (F1) of earthworms, with >50% reduction in juvenile production at 0.5% microplastics concentration in soil. Also, significant genotoxicity in terms of DNA damage was observed in the F0 and F1 earthworms. Chemical analysis of microplastic-exposed soils showed the presence of several benzene derivatives that are associated with polystyrene particles. Our study, for the first time to our knowledge, demonstrated the long-term adverse effects on earthworms of polystyrene microplastics even at environmentally relevant concentrations. The results have significant implications for risk assessment of polystyrene microplastics to soil biota. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2240-2246. © 2021 SETAC.

Capture and characterisation of microplastics printed on paper via laser printer's toners.

Microplastics are among the ubiquitous contaminants in our environment. As emerging contaminants, microplastics are still facing with lots of challenges on the characterisation, including their capture, identification and visualisation, particularly from a complex background. For example, when we print documents using a laser printer, we are printing microplastics onto paper, because the plastics are the main ingredient of the toner powder mixture. Characterisation of these microplastic mixture meets an even more complicated challenge, because plastic's signals might be shielded by other toner powder ingredients such as the pigments, the dyes, the black carbon, and the paper fabrics as well. To solve this challenge, we employ various techniques, including SEM, TEM, XPS, FT-IR, TGA and Raman, to characterise the microplastics printed via the toner powders. Interestingly, we show that Raman can distinguish and visualise the distribution of the microplastics from the complex background of the mixture. We estimate the millions of toner powders, each of which is ~4-6 µm in size, are printed out per A4 sheet as microplastics. The findings send a strong warning that millions of microplastics might be generated from the printing activities in our daily lives.

Medicinal Species of the Genus Berberis: A Review of Their Traditional and Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology.

Discovering new drugs for treating different health problems is one of the basic needs of human societies. There are various strategies to find new lead compounds. One of the most important strategies in this regard is using the knowledge in traditional and folk medicines as a valuable guide. Islamic traditional medicine (ITM) is a well reputed school of medicine with a long history. In the textbooks of this medical system, the properties and applications of many medicinal plants have been described. As a part of an ongoing project on plants used in ITM, in this study we investigated botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Berberis spp. The great genus Berberis (Berberidaceae) consists of 594 species worldwide which have been used in different traditional medicines for a wide range of diseases. In ITM reference books such as Al-Hâwi fi'at-Tibbe (Comprehensive Book of Medicine), Kâmel al-Sinâh at-Tibbiyah (Complete Book of the Medical Art), Al-Qânun fi' at-Tibbe (Canon of Medicine), Dakhireh Khârazmshâhi (Treasure of Khârazmshâh), and Makhzan al-Adwyah (Drug Treasure), different parts of B. vulgaris and B. integrimma, known as Zereshk, have been mainly prescribed for skin, liver, stomach, kidney, and eye problems. There are several pharmacological studies reporting beneficial effects of various Berberis plants confirming traditional uses. Most of the activities reported for Berberis is attributed to the presence of an important class of alkaloids namely isoquinolines. Nevertheless, clinical studies are necessary to confirm the therapeutic effects of different species of this genus.

Self-management Behaviors and Anthropometric Indices after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to correlate the connection between self-management behaviors and anthropometric indices after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). METHODS: A sample of 180 patients suffering from obesity were treated with RYGB in 2019; 6 and 18 months after surgery, anthropometric indices, including weight, waist circumference, waist- to-height ratio, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio, were gauged, and participants completed the post-bariatric surgery self-management behaviors questionnaire. RESULTS: Correlation matrix results showed that all anthropometric indices had a significant positive relationship with self-management behaviors after RYGB; the results of the 18-month post-surgical follow-up exhibited no significant difference between anthropometric indices and self-management behaviors, 6 and 18 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the more self-management behaviors increase, the greater decrease in anthropometric indices will happen after RYGB.