Toxicology Commons^™

Development Of The Species-Specific Multiplex Pcr And Dna Sequencing Methods For Rapid Authentication Of Isatidis Folium And Its Adulterants, Yung-Chuan Hsieh, Ming-Sian Wu, Hui-Chun Lee, Chia-Yun Hsieh, Shih-Shan Huang, Chia-Fen Tsai, Ya-Tze Lin, Mei-Chih Lin, Su-Hsiang Tseng, Der-Yuan Wang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Isatis indigotica Fort. (family Cruciferae), is an herb widely used in traditional herbal medicine and its dried leave was named “ISATIDIS FOLIUM”. Baphicacanthus cusia (Ness) Bremek. and Polygonum tinctorium Ait. are commonly misused as ISATIDIS FOLIUM in Chinese Medicine pharmacy. For the purpose of being not misused, specific primers based on the sequence difference of chloroplast trnH-psbA intergenic spacer were designed and Multiplex polymerase chain reaction method (Multiplex PCR) was developed. In this study, 29 original herbal materials were analyzed and our results show that DNA size after Multiplex PCR was able to distinguish variations between three herbs. DNA fragments …

Rapid Determination Of Benzophenone Derivatives In Cereals Using Fapex Coupled With Ultra–High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Yu-Fang Huang, Jui-Ting Chien, Hsin-Chang Chen, Xuan-Rui Liu, Jui-Pin Chang, Jun-Jie Huang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

A robust and sensitive analytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous analysis of the levels of 10 benzophenone derivatives (BPs; BP, BP-1, BP-2, BP-3, BP-8, 2-hydroxybenzophenone [2-OHBP], 4-hydroxybenzophenone [4-OHBP], 4-methylbenzophenone [4-MBP], methyl-2-benzoylbenzoate [M2BB], and 4-benzoylbiphenyl [PBZ]) in 54 breakfast cereal samples. A fast pesticide extraction (FaPEx) technique coupled with isotope-labeled internal standards ultraehigh-performance liquid chromatographyetandem mass spectrometry was employed. The developed method exhibited satisfactory linearity (R2 > 0.998), high precision (intraday and interday relative standard deviations in the ranges of 1.4%e20.8% and 3.2%e23.9%, respectively), and a limit of detection ranging from 0.001 to 0.122 ng/g. BP and 4-MBP were …

Assessment Of Lemon Juice Quality And Adulteration By Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography/Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry With Interactive And Interpretable Machine Learning, Weiting Lyu, Bo Yuan, Siyu Liu, James E. Simon, Qingli Wu

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

A total of 81 lemon juices samples were detected using an optimized UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS method and colorimetric assays. Concentration of 3 organic acids (ascorbic acid, malic acid and citric acid), 3 saccharides (glucose, fructose and sucrose) and 6 phenolic acids (trans-p-coumaric acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid) were quantified. Their total polyphenol, antioxidant activity and Ferric reducing antioxidant power were also measured. For the prediction of authentic and adulterated lemon juices and commercially sourced lemonade beverages based on the acquired metabolic profile, machine learning models including linear discriminant analysis, Gaussian naïve Bayes, lasso-regularized logistic regression, random forest (RF) …

Ursolic Acid Restores Sensitivity To Gemcitabine Through The Rage/Nf-Κb/Mdr1 Axis In Pancreatic Cancer Cells And In A Mouse Xenograft Model, Zih-Ying Lia, Sheng-Yi Chena, Gow-Chin Yen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Gemcitabine (GEM) is a first-line drug for pancreatic cancer therapy, but GEM resistance is easily developed in patients. Growing evidence suggests that cancer chemoprevention and suppression are highly associated with dietary phytochemical and microbiota composition. Ursolic acid (UA) has anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects; however, its role in improving cancer drug resistance in vivo remains unclear. In this study, the aim was to explore the role of UA in managing drug resistance-associated molecular mechanisms and the influence of gut microbiota. The in vitro results showed that receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB/p65), and multidrug …

Determination Of Phytochemical Compounds In Chicken Breast By Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Federico Cozzi, Irene Eder-Neuhauser, Klaus Teichmann, Mathias Zaunschirm

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

A gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous detection and quantification of five phytogenic compounds (carvone, menthol, thymol, carvacrol and methyl salicylate) in chicken breast. Chicken breast samples were analyzed using a QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) approach using acetonitrile as extraction solvent, followed by a d-SPE (dispersive-solid phase extraction) clean up step. The linearities for the 5 substances were studied in the range between 2 and 100 µg/L and the coefficients of determination (R2) were always > 0.995. Matrix effects were also assessed by comparing the slopes obtained in solvent and chicken breast …

Application Of A Comprehensive Metabolomics Approach For The Selection Of Flaxseed Varieties With The Highest Nutritional And Medicinal Attributes, Mohamed A. Salem, Shahira M. Ezzat, Patrick Giavalsico, Essam Abdel Sattar, Nebal El Tanbouly

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Flaxseed is considered an indispensable generally recognized as safe (GRAS) source of polyphenolic lignans, poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), fibers as well as minerals and vitamins. The metabolite content of flaxseed reflects its nutritional and medicinal value. Therefore, the selection of flaxseed variety for food industry is dependent on its metabolome. A metabolomics approach based on liquid or gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, has been applied to discriminate different flaxseed cultivars that are commercially available in Egypt. The available Sakha cultivars were subjected to a comprehensive metabolomics and lipidomics approach for investigation of their metabolomes. Our results showed that among …

Human Breast Milk-Based Nutritherapy: A Blueprint For Pediatric Healthcare, Pravin Shende, Bhakti Khanolkar

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Human Breast Milk (HBM) is a storehouse of micronutrients, macronutrients, immune factors, microbiota and numerous other bioactive macromolecules. Fulfilment of optimum nutritional requirements of more than 240 million malnourished infants worldwide is possible via adequate amount (570-900 mL/d) of breast milk administration to infants in first few years of life. Technological advancements enable study of multiple components of HBM like stem cells, bioactive proteins, micro RNAs, immunoglobulins and epithelial cells to understand their role in enhancement of nutritional value of HBM. Furthermore, immunological and protective functions of HBM against various illnesses like diabetes, anemia, respiratory and cardiovascular abnormalities, otitis media …

Current And Potential Applications Of Simultaneous Dsc-Ftir Microspectroscopy For Pharmaceutical Analysis, Shan-Yang Lin

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Quality control (QC) is the most important key issue in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure the quality of drug products. Many analytical instruments and techniques in pharmaceutical analysis are applied to assess the quality and quantity of the drugs. In the current and future trends, a combination of digitization, automation and hyphenation with high throughput on-line performance will be the topics for the future of pharmaceutical QC. The hyphenated analytical techniques have recently received great attention as unique means to solve complex analytical problems in a short period of time. This review article is an update on the recent potential …

Developmental Ethanol Exposure Causes Central Nervous System Dysfunction And May Slow The Aging Process In A Drosophila Model Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Khaoula Belhorma, Nahed Darwish, Elizabeth Benn-Hirsch, Annalisa Duenas, Hillary Gates, Navneet Sanghera, Jodie Wu, Rachael L. French

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Alcohol is a known teratogen, and developmental exposure to ethanol results in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Children born with FASD can exhibit a range of symptoms including low birth weight, microcephaly, and neurobehavioral problems. Treatment of patients with FASD is estimated to cost 4 billion dollars per year in the United States alone, and 2 million dollars per affected individual's lifetime. We have established Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism for the study of FASD. Here we report that mutations in Dementin (Dmtn), the Drosophila ortholog of the Alzheimer's disease-associated protein TMCC2, convey sensitivity to developmental ethanol exposure, …

Evaluating Toxicity Of Varroa Mite (Varroa Destructor)-Active Dsrna To Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Larvae, Niranjana Krishnan, Maura J. Hall, Richard L. Hellmich, Joel R. Coats, Steven P. Bradbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are parasitic mites that, combined with other factors, are contributing to high levels of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses. A Varroa-active dsRNA was recently developed to control Varroa mites within honey bee brood cells. This dsRNA has 372 base pairs that are homologous to a sequence region within the Varroa mite calmodulin gene (cam). The Varroa-active dsRNA also shares a 21-base pair match with monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) calmodulin mRNA, raising the possibility of non-target effects if there is environmental exposure. We chronically exposed the entire monarch …

A Meta-Analysis Of The Protein Components In Rattlesnake Venom, Anant Deshwal, Phuc Phan, Jyotishka Datta, Ragupathy Kannan, Suresh Kumar Thallapuranam

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The specificity and potency of venom components give them a unique advantage in developing various pharmaceutical drugs. Though venom is a cocktail of proteins, rarely are the synergy and association between various venom components studied. Understanding the relationship between various components of venom is critical in medical research. Using meta-analysis, we observed underlying patterns and associations in the appearance of the toxin families. For Crotalus, Dis has the most associations with the following toxins: PDE; BPP; CRL; CRiSP; LAAO; SVMP P-I and LAAO; SVMP P-III and LAAO. In Sistrurus venom, CTL and NGF have the most associations. These associations …

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Life-Stage Risks From Foliar And Seed-Treatment Insecticides, Niranjana Krishnan, Yang Zhang, Melanie E. Aust, Richard L. Hellmich, Joel R. Coats, Steven P. Bradbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Conservation of North America's eastern monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population would require establishment of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) and nectar plants in the agricultural landscapes of the north central United States. A variety of seed-treatment and foliar insecticides are used to manage early- and late-season pests in these landscapes. Thus, there is a need to assess risks of these insecticides to monarch butterfly life stages to inform habitat conservation practices. Chronic and acute dietary toxicity studies were undertaken with larvae and adults, and acute topical bioassays were conducted with eggs, pupae, and adults using 6 representative insecticides: beta-cyfluthrin …

Contemporary Brazilian Catholicism And Healing Practices: Notes On Environmentalism And Medicalization, Juliano F. Almeida

Journal of Global Catholicism

Anthropological studies on Brazilian Catholicism traditionally focused on popular variants of this religious practice and their relationship with the official Catholicism. Encouraged by recent anthropological perspectives, which highlight the relevance of devoting researches not only on the margins, but also on the center of social practices, this paper analyzes contemporary practices of Brazilian Catholic friars and priests on health promotion. The analysis of their publications (books that include practices and tips on health and that became best sellers etc.), as well as interviews, allows us to perceive a process of environmentalization on the contemporary Brazilian Catholicism. This process seems to …

Addressing Uncertainties Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls In Schools, Alice Fan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Despite the potential neurological health deficits resulting from polychlorinated biphenyls, there is a lack of inhalation studies and regulations to protect students and teachers who are widely exposed to PCBs in older (1950 to 1979) schools. To estimate the extent of PCB detections in Los Angeles County schools, I applied a mathematical model to estimate the range of PCB detections in schools built between 1950 and 1984. I estimate the range of 17-34% PCB detections of open schools within Los Angeles County. Next, I reviewed exposure tools provided by the US EPA to bridge the uncertainty gaps between ingestion and …

Manipulation Of The Microbiome In The Gut Of The Fruit Fly To Alleviate Cadmium Bioaccumulation, Natasya Tamba

Symposium of Student Scholars

Cadmium (Cd) poisoning contributes to severe bodily detriments characterized by kidney failure, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis, otherwise known as Itai-Itai disease. The ingestion of cadmium contaminated foods primarily causes these conditions. There are no treatments to remove cadmium once absorbed, resulting in bioaccumulation. In this study, we are developing a method to manipulate the community of microorganisms (microbiome) living within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), intending to use microorganisms to reduce the availability of ingested cadmium.

The biodiversity of microorganisms within the GI tract is responsible for metabolizing substances that the body cannot perform. …

Chemical Characterization Of Toxicologically Relevant Molecules In Cannabis Concentrates And Vaporizer Aerosols, Jiries Meehan-Atrash

Dissertations and Theses

Consumption of cannabis concentrates using the relatively novel non-combustion methods dabbing and vaping has steadily grown in popularity as cannabis legalization in North America has allowed increased access to sophisticated cannabis products and technology. In order to assess the safety of these products, it is necessary to gain a chemical understanding of the decomposition reactions that occur when the active ingredients are heated in the conditions seen when dabbing or vaping. This dissertation contains a manuscript that details efforts to structurally characterize a toxic cannabis concentrate adulterant, and three manuscripts that studied the chemical decomposition of the two primary cannabis …

Stress, Alcohol Use, And Punitive Parenting During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer Price Wolf, Bridget Freisthler, Caileigh Chadwick

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background
Emerging research suggests that parents are experiencing heightened stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parental stress is a risk factor for harsh or punitive parenting, and this association may be exacerbated by the use of alcohol.
Objective
We examine whether parental stress is associated with use of punitive parenting, as well as whether this association is modified by drinking pattern.
Participants & setting
We used advertisements and word-of-mouth to recruit 342 parents living in Central Ohio during the initial stay-at-home order for COVID-19.
Methods
We used geographic ecological momentary assessment (gEMA) to measure parental stress and punitive parenting during three …

Composition And Oxidative Potential Of Fine Particulate Matter From Pascagoula, Ms, Madison Smith

Honors Theses

Air pollution is one of the top-ranking risk factors for death and disability around the world, accounting for nearly 4.9 million deaths worldwide (State of Global Air, 2019). Specifically, fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) has been linked to many adverse effects on human health, yet there is very little known about what characteristics exactly cause these adverse health effects and how they cause them. Samples for this study were collected from Pascagoula, MS, a small town located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that is home to many industrial yards, from September 2013 to December 2013. Black carbon (BC) analysis …

Determination Of Metals And Microplastics In Sediment From Oyster Reefs In The Mississippi Sound, Shelby Goza

Honors Theses

This research centers on the determination of metals (Cd, Pb, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) and microplastics (MPs) in marine sediment from oyster reefs in the Mississippi Sound Estuary. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are a vital part of the Gulf Coast economy, but their population has dramatically declined in recent years due to multiple stressors, including oil spills and fluctuations in salinity from flooding. Increasingly frequent flooding events also introduce high loads of MPs and sediments containing heavy metals from the Mississippi River. These pollutants can have deleterious effects on oyster biology; however, they have not been adequately …

Evaluating The Chronic Effect Of Food Coloring Dyes On Biological Life Functions Of Model Organism; Caenorhabditis Elegans, Demilade Adisa

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Food coloring dyes are substances known to enhance the appearance of food or drink by imparting color when it is added. They have been in large commercial food production as well as in its use in domestic food applications and non-food applications. The toxic effects of food coloring dyes have been seen in the enzymatic breakdown of the azo linkage of the dye molecule by enzyme; azo reductase. The degradation of such food dye products give rise to increased toxic effects that affect the nervous system.

Caenorhabditis elegans is a bacterial feeder, free-living soil nematode used as a model organism …