Search Results (137)

Detailed description of phase composition and geochemistry of the Muschelkalk carbonate rocks of the Upper Silesian Province in Poland were presented in this article. The tests were carried out to determine mineralogical features and geochemical properties. The samples were collected from the formations of the Lower Muschelkalk (Gogolin Unit), Middle Muschelkalk (Diplopore Dolomite Unit) and Upper Muschelkalk (Tarnowice Unit, Boruszowice Unit). The following research methods were used: macroscopic description, X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence and Atomic spectrometry with plasma intensification. The following carbonate phases were identified: a low-Mg calcite, a high-Mg calcite, a proto-dolomite, an ordered dolomite and a huntite. The results of XRD analysis allowed the determination of the chemical formulas of the mineral phases. XRF and ICP AES analyses allowed to establish the content of following trace elements: Sr, Ba, Al, Si, Fe, Mn, K, Na, S, Cl, Ti, Cr, Ni, Zn, Rb, Zr, Pb, As, V, Be, B, Co, Cu, Br, Mo and Cd. Apart from Sr and Ba, they are not fundamental components of carbonate rocks. They indicate the presence of minerals such as silicates, aluminosilicates, oxides and sulfides. Full article

This study systematically investigates soil and stream sediment along the 165 km Ibar River to examine the origin and transfer of pollutants. The research focuses on the environmental impact of long-term mining and irregular waste management, as well as natural enrichment related to weathering processes. A comprehensive sampling campaign was conducted, collecting 70 samples from 14 locations. At each location, samples of river sediment, floodplain soil (0–5 cm and 20–30 cm depths), and river terrace soil (same depths) were collected. The contents of 21 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn) were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to identify statistically significant differences in element contents between defined zones, sampled materials (river sediments, floodplain soils, and river terrace soils), and sampled soil horizons (topsoil, 0–5 cm, and subsoil, 20–30 cm). Multivariate analysis, including correlation coefficient, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis, revealed two distinct groups of elements with highly significant correlation coefficients (r > 0.7). The first group, comprising Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn, indicates anthropogenic enrichment, likely resulting from mining and smelting activities in the middle flow of the Ibar River (The Mining and Metallurgical Complex Trepča). The second group, consisting of Cr, Mg, and Ni, suggests enrichment related to the weathering of elements from the ophiolite zone in the lower Ibar River. The study found high enrichment ratios of toxic elements like arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc, particularly in stream sediments and floodplains. Notably, arsenic contents exceeded European averages by up to 57 times in stream sediments, posing a significant environmental concern due to its high content. Full article

Due to their evolutionary divergence from mammals, zebrafish (Zf, Danio rerio), which are frequently employed in biomedical research, provide a distinctive viewpoint on innate immune systems. The Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 2/cluster of differentiation 14 (TLR4/MD-2/CD14) complex in mammals detects lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a crucial component of Gram-negative bacteria, and it causes potent inflammatory reactions through a Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF)-dependent and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88)-dependent pathways. However, key components of this system, such as a responsive TLR4 axis and a functional CD14 ortholog, are absent in Zf. The Zf species nevertheless reacts to LPS, which leads to research into other recognition systems. This review looks at a number of TLR4-independent processes in Zf, such as scavenger receptors (SRs) including scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI) and cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 (NOD1)-dependent cytosolic sensing, peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs), Complement Component 3 (C3), and caspase-1-like protein 2 (Caspy2)-mediated inflammasome activation. An alternative and flexible immune system that makes up for the lack of canonical TLR4 signaling is revealed by these mechanisms. Additionally, the discovery of lymphocyte antigen 96 (ly96), an ortholog of MD-2 found in Zf, suggests evolutionary similarity; however, as it is only functional in artificial systems, it demonstrates minimal overlap with mammalian MD-2 activity. Knowing these pathways provides important information for studying inflammation, infection, and immunological modulation in vertebrates using Zf as a model. It also clarifies the evolutionary flexibility of innate immune recognition. Full article

Background: Plastic is one of the most versatile and widely used materials, but the environmental accumulation of nanoplastics (NPs) poses a risk to human health. Preclinical studies have verified that the liver is one of the main organs susceptible to NPs. Biobran/MGN-3, an arabinoxylan from rice bran, has been shown to have hepatoprotective effects; here, we show Biobran’s ability to alleviate polyethylene nanoplastics (PE-NPs)-induced liver cell toxicity by reversing apoptosis and restoring G2/M cell arrest in mouse liver cells (BNL CL.2). Methods: Toxicological effects were measured using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay for cell viability and flow cytometry for cell cycle analysis and apoptosis. An in silico study was also used to demonstrate the docking of PE-NPs to pro-inflammatory mediator proteins (IL-6R, IL-17R, CD41/CD61, CD47/SIRP), cell cycle regulators (BCL-2, c-Myc), as well as serine carboxypeptidase, which is an active ingredient of Biobran. Results: Exposing liver cells to PE-NPs caused a significant decrease in cell viability, with an IC50 value of 334.9 ± 2.7 µg/mL. Co-treatment with Biobran restored cell viability to normal levels, preserving 85% viability at the highest concentration of PE-NPs. Additionally, total cell death observed after exposure to PE-NPs was reduced by 2.4-fold with Biobran co-treatment. The G2/M arrest and subsequent cell death (pre-G0 phase) induced by PE-NPs were normalized after combined treatment. The in silico study revealed that Biobran blocks the nucleophilic centers of PE-NPs, preventing their interaction with pro-inflammatory mediators and cell cycle regulators. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential use of Biobran as a hepatoprotector against NP toxicity. Full article

This study examines speleothems, sediments, rock, and water to assess geochemical and mineralogical processes in deep karst systems. Focusing on Slovačka jama cave (−1320 m deep) and the Velebita cave system (−1026 m deep), we identify elemental and mineralogical anomalies that provide valuable records of element transport, mineral formation, and paleoenvironmental changes. Heavy metal anomalies (Al, B, Co, Mn, Na, Tl, Ba, Be, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Pb, Rb, Ti, U, Zn) at 300–400 m of depth in Slovačka jama indicate a complex interplay of geological conditions, geomorphological processes, atmospheric deposition, and potential anthropogenic influences. Factor analysis reveals two elemental associations: (1) Fe, Pb, Cu, and Zn, linked to terrigenous aluminosilicates, and (2) Cd, Cr, Mo, and Ni, suggesting airborne or geological sources. Mineralogical analysis confirms the dominance of calcite, with quartz, clay minerals, feldspars, magnetite, and goethite also detected. High magnetic susceptibility values in sediment-rich samples suggest Fe-rich mineral inputs from weathering, biogenic activity, or industrial sources. Ba anomalies in feldspar-rich samples and Sr accumulation at depth indicate distinct geochemical processes. These findings enhance our understanding of deep karst geochemistry, crucial for paleoenvironmental reconstructions and groundwater protection. Full article

This study is the first investigation into the content of heavy metals (ecotoxic) and metalloids in the available water resources of the Papuk Nature Park (Croatia), conducted after the war in Croatia. Analyses of 13 elements, As, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Sr, V and Zn, were carried out on 21 water samples from rivers and their tributaries using the ICP-MS method. The concentration of heavy metals and metalloids in the water of the rivers and their tributaries was low, revealing an intact water environment. Depending on the area of sampling, medians (in µgL⁻¹) were 0.50–4.22 (As), 1.90–141.78 (B), 0.31–60.01 (Ba), 0.16–0.57 (Cd), 0.095–0.62 (Co), 0.18–0.66 (Cr), 1.59–15.89 (Cu), 12.1–1692.2 (Fe), 0.26–8.21 (Ni), 0.017–4.45 (Pb), 0.039–126.09 (Sr), 0.48–2.53 (V), and 3.01–25.95 (Zn). Higher concentrations of Fe (median ranged from 155.42 to 968.20 µgL⁻¹) were found in the northern part of the Papuk Nature Park and are considered to be of natural origin; therefore, anthropogenic influences are excluded. The watercourses of the Papuk Nature Park are generally characterized as a clean ecosystem. This, in part, can be attributed to the human activism legislation that declared Papuk a Nature Park, and the self-healing potential of nature. Full article

The TaVP1-B gene, located on the 3B chromosome of wheat, is a homolog of the Viviparous-1 (VP-1) gene of maize and was reported to confer resistance to pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in wheat. In this study, the structure of the TaVP1-B gene was analyzed using the wheat pan-genome consisting of 20 released cultivars (19 wheat are from China), and 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which were identified at the 496 bp, 524 bp, and 1548 bp of the TaVP1-B CDS region, respectively. Haplotypes analysis showed that these SNPs were in complete linkage disequilibrium and that only two haplotypes designated as hap1 (TGG) and hap2 (GAA) were present. Association analysis between TaVP1-B haplotypes and PHS resistance of the 20 wheat cultivars in four experiment environments revealed that the average PHS resistance of accessions with hap1 was significantly better than that of accessions with hap2, which infers the effects of TaVP1-B on wheat PHS resistance. To further investigate the impacts of alleles at the TaVP1-B locus on PHS resistance, the SNP at 1548 bp of the TaVP1-B CDS region was converted to a KASP marker, which was used for genotyping 304 Chinese wheat cultivars, whose PHS resistance was evaluated in three environments. The average sprouting rates (SRs) of 135 wheat cultivars with the hap1 were significantly lower than the 169 cultivars with the hap2, validating the impacts of TaVP1-B on PHS resistance in Chinese wheat. The present study provided the breeding-friendly marker for functional variants in the TaVP1-B gene, which can be used for genetic improvement of PHS resistance in wheat. Full article

A comparative elemental analysis of espresso coffee from Poland and Portugal was carried out. Using an ICP-MS analytical procedure, samples collected from public cafes in Poland and Portugal (n = 60 and n = 44, respectively) were studied for their macromineral and trace element content. To evaluate the contribution of water to the final composition of the beverage, paired samples (i.e., collected from the same locations) of drinking water were also analysed. The mineral profile of the coffee espresso samples was quite similar: Mg > P > Ca > Rb > Mn > B > Zn > Cu > Sr > Ba > Ni > Pb > Cs > Mo > Sn > Cd > Sb > Tl for samples from Poland and Mg > P > Ca > Rb > B > Mn > Zn > Sr > Cu > Ni > Ba > Cs > Pb > Mo > Sn > Sb > Cd > Tl for samples from Portugal. For most of the elements, the espresso samples showed much higher levels than the water used in its preparation. The two most notable exceptions were Ca and Sr, where the elements present in the coffee came mainly from the water. The contribution of coffee espressos to the daily intake of essential elements seems to be reduced. Other non-essential elements like Ni (median = 81.0 µg/L and 86.8 µg/L for Polish and Portuguese espresso, respectively) and Pb (median = 14.3 µg/L and 4.43 µg/L, respectively) were observed in significant amounts in the coffee espresso samples analysed in this study. These elements have been shown to leach from coffee machines in other studies. More studies are necessary to confirm these results. Full article

Bulgarian wines are renowned worldwide and serve as a symbol of the country. However, ensuring wine authenticity and establishing reliable methods for its assessment are critical challenges in wine quality control. This study investigates the migration of chemical elements within the soil/grape/wine system and utilizes the findings to develop a method for identifying specific elements capable of distinguishing the geographical origin of wine. Additionally, it explores the potential to determine its botanical origin. Thirty monovarietal Bulgarian wines, specifically produced for this study with precisely known geographical and botanical origins, were analyzed for 20 chemical elements. These included macroelements such as Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Sr, and Zn, as well as microelements like As, Cd, Co, Cr, Li, Ni, and Pb. The study encompassed white wines from Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc, Tamyanka, and Viognier varieties, as well as red wines from Egiodola, Broad-Leaved Melnik, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, Melnik, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The chemical composition was determined in soil extracts (using acetate and EDTA extract to represent the bioavailable fraction), vine leaves, primary musts, and raw wines before clarification and stabilization. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were calculated for the soil/leaves, soil/must, and must/wine systems, enabling an analysis of the migration of chemical elements from soil to wine and the concentration changes throughout the process. The results identified elemental descriptors capable of indicating the geographical origin of wine. Full article

Background: In recent years, the consumption of energy drinks (EDs) by adolescents and young adults has increased significantly, so concerns have been raised about the potential health risks associated with excessive ED consumption. Most analyses on EDs focus on the caffeine content. Research on the content of minerals (essential and toxic) in energy drinks can be considered scarce. Therefore, there is a need for research stating the actual status of heavy metal content in commercially available energy drinks. Methods: This research presents the determination of the total concentrations of macro-elements and trace elements (TEs), such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, B, Zn, V, Sr, Ba, Pb, Cd, and As in nine samples of energy drinks using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques. Results: The order in the content of macro-minerals in the EDs was as follows: Na > K > Mg > Ca. The results showed that ED 1, ED 3, and ED 7 samples had the highest micro-mineral concentrations. All the samples had a hazard quotient and hazard index < 1, indicating no non-carcinogenic risk from exposure to single or multiple heavy metals in both the adolescent and adult age groups. Some samples exceeded the threshold limit of acceptable cancer risk for As, Ni, and Cr in both adolescents and adults. Conclusions: This assessment showed that in addition to health implications based on the caffeine content of EDs, there might be a carcinogenic risk associated with the toxic element content of these beverages. This research also highlights notable differences in the TE levels among various ED brands, which may have important implications for consumer well-being and health. Full article

Background: Soybeans are a widely consumed legume, essential in Western diets and especially prominent in vegan and vegetarian nutrition. However, environmental contamination from anthropogenic sources, such as industrial emissions, wastewater, and pesticide use, has led to the accumulation of non-essential and toxic elements in legumes, potentially impacting human health. Method: This study quantified the levels of 11 potential toxic elements (Al, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Li, Ni, Pb, Sr, V) in 90 samples of four soybean species (Glycine max, Vigna radiata, Vigna angularis, Vigna mungo) using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results: Results showed that boron had the highest mean content (9.52 mg/kg ww), followed by aluminum (6.73 mg/kg ww). Among the toxic metals, cadmium was most concentrated in green soybeans (0.03 mg/kg ww), and black soybeans had the highest level of lead (0.07 mg/kg ww). Based on an average soybean consumption of 50 g/day, no immediate health risk was detected. However, lithium and nickel were present in substantial amounts, with lithium contributing 31.43–48.57% and nickel 6.81–39.56% of their respective provisional daily intake limits, especially from red soybeans (V. angularis). Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of monitoring toxic elements in soybeans and calls for stricter environmental management practices to minimize contamination, ensuring the safety of soy products as their global consumption rises. Full article

The current study presents a meta-analysis of the detailed relationship between the composition of 25 essential and toxic elements in chicken tissues examined by ICP-MS and the gut microbial community analyzed using NGS techniques. The examination of chicken liver and meat revealed typical elemental compositions, called the “elementomes”. The α-elementomes showed high contents of macro elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, P), majority trace elements (Sr, Se, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn) and some toxic elements (B, Pb, Ni, Cd); β-elementomes indicated accumulation of Si, V and Cr; γ-elementomes indicated accumulation of Al, As and Hg. Characterization of the microbiomes’ structure showed two distinct enterotypes, designated “microbiome patterns”; the first was enriched in the phylum Bacteroidota, and the second was dominated by Bacillota and coupled with members of the phyla Actinomycetota, Cyanobacteriota and Thermodesulfobacteriota. A comparison of elementomes and microbiomes demonstrated a clear correspondence between the α- and γ-elementomes belonging to the Bacteroidota-enriched pattern, while the β-elementome was predominantly found in chicken groups belonging to the Bacillota + ACT pattern. This insight proposes a novel strategy to improve deficiency or excess of certain elements in the host by gut microbiome modulation, which needs to be verified with further in vivo experiments. Full article

Knowledge about determinants of addiction in people taking addictive substances is poor and needs to be supplemented. The novelty of this paper consists in the analysis of innovative aspects of current research about relationships between determinants of addiction in Polish patients taking addictive substances and rare available data regarding the relationships between these factors from studies from recent years from other environments, mainly in Europe, and on the development of genetic determinants of physiological responses. We try to explain the role of the microelements Mn, Fe, Cu, Co, Zn, Cr, Ni, Tl, Se, Al, B, Mo, V, Sn, Sb, Ag, Sr, and Ba, the toxic metals Cd, Hg, As, and Pb, and the rare earth elements Sc, La, Ce, Pr, Eu, Gd, and Nd as factors that may shape the development of addiction to addictive substances or drugs. The interactions between factors (gene polymorphism, especially ANKK1 (TaqI A), ANKK1 (Taq1 A-CT), DRD2 (TaqI B, DRD2 Taq1 B-GA, DRD2 Taq1 B-AA, DRD2-141C Ins/Del), and OPRM1 (A118G)) in patients addicted to addictive substances and consumption of vegetables, consumption of dairy products, exposure to harmful factors, and their relationships with physiological responses, which confirm the importance of internal factors as determinants of addiction, are analyzed, taking into account gender and region. The innovation of this review is to show that the homozygous TT mutant of the ANKK1 TaqI A polymorphism rs 1800497 may be a factor in increased risk of opioid dependence. We identify a variation in the functioning of the immune system in addicted patients from different environments as a result of the interaction of polymorphisms. Full article

Pyrimidine derivatives exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tested pyrimidine derivatives on the activity of cyclooxygenase isoenzymes (COX-1 and COX-2), antioxidant properties, and their ability to inhibit the growth of inflammatory cells. In vitro tests were conducted to assess the ability of pyrimidine derivatives L1–L4 to inhibit COX-1 and COX-2 activity using the TMPD oxidation assay (N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine). The compounds’ ability to inhibit the growth of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1 (human leukemia monocytic) monocyte cells and their impact on reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in an inflammatory model were also evaluated. The binding properties of human serum albumin (HSA) were assessed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Among the tested pyrimidine derivatives, L1 and L2 showed high selectivity towards COX-2, outperforming piroxicam and achieving results comparable to meloxicam. In the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay, L1 and L2 demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of LPS-stimulated THP-1 cell growth. Additionally, ROS assays indicated that these compounds reduced free radical levels, confirming their antioxidant properties. Binding studies with albumin revealed that L1 and L2 formed stable complexes with HSA. These results suggest that these compounds could serve as a basis for further research into anti-inflammatory and anticancer drugs with reduced toxicity. Full article

Atherosclerosis is a key etiological event in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), strongly linked to the formation of foam cells. This study explored the effects of two blue mussel-derived bioactive peptides (BAPs), PIISVYWK (P1) and FSVVPSPK (P2), on inhibiting foam cell formation and mitigating inflammation in oxLDL-treated RAW264.7 macrophages. Both peptides significantly suppressed intracellular lipid accumulation and cholesterol levels while promoting cholesterol efflux by downregulating cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) and class A1 scavenger receptors (SR-A1) and upregulating ATP binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA-1) and ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 1 (ABCG-1) expressions. The increased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ) and liver X receptor-alpha (LXR-α) further validated their role in enhancing cholesterol efflux. Additionally, P1 and P2 inhibited foam cell formation in oxLDL-treated human aortic smooth muscle cells and exerted anti-inflammatory effects by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), primarily through inhibiting NF-κB activation. Furthermore, P1 and P2 alleviated oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Our findings demonstrate that P1 and P2 have significant potential in reducing foam cell formation and inflammation, both critical factors in atherosclerosis development. These peptides may serve as promising therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of CVDs associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Full article