Acute toxicity of Galium odoratum to the freshwater cladoceran Moina macrocopa

Galium odoratum (L.) is a medicinal plant with a number of health benefits, used in traditional and modern medicine. The toxicity of the coumarin in Galium odoratum is classified as high, however, no experimental data or data on toxic effects in humans following intake of Galium odoratum are available. The potential toxic effect can be estimated based on the content of coumarin and knowledge of its toxicity. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the acute toxicity effects of a range of concentrations of Galium odoratum water extract on Moina macrocopa and calculate the LC50 within 24 hours. In order to compare the toxicity with those of other, well-known and widely used medicinal plants, extracts of Matricaria chamomilla and Tribulus terrestris are also tested.  The results show that LC50 value of Galium odoratum is comparable with those of Matricaria chamomilla and Tribulus terrestris, and Galium odoratum has intermediate toxicity between the two other studied species. 

A Review of Microplastics Risk Assessment in the Coastal Environment

Pollution from microplastics has recently become a prevalent threat to the ecosystem. Microplastics with a dimension less than or equal to 5 mm are smaller. There are many ways that microplastics can reach the atmosphere. By various mechanisms, the breakdown of macro plastics will happen. Chemical degradation, tire abrasion, is the most common forms of degradation. Microplastics (MPs) pollution in the coastal and marine ecosystem is currently a global problem. Transferring MPs from land to sea and allowing them to enter the food chain has a direct negative impact on marine life and human health. The combined toxicity effects of MicroPlastics (MPs) and other contaminants in marine environments, as well as their toxicity effects and mechanisms based on a variety of environmentally important test organisms, were also covered in this study.

Toxicity Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics with Cadmium on the Alga Microcystis Aeruginosa

The objective of this paper is to present a thorough analysis of the toxicity of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) with the heavy metal cadmium (Cd). These components were studied separately and combined to determine how these environmental toxins affect Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) in fresh water. The combined toxicity of MPs or NPs and Cd to M. aeruginosa showed an aggressive and negative effect after 96 h of exposure. Due to the higher adsorption ability of NPs, the accumulation of Cd inside cells with NPs was lower than that found inside the cells with MPs. But the difference in toxicity between the MPs and NPs was not significant. Meanwhile, the more produce of the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) in the presence of NPs, the more complex effect of EPS bonded to heavy metals, which reduce the toxic effect on the algal cells. Notably, the production of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) under different treatments has demonstrated that the presence of combined MPs/NPs with Cd can potentially raise some of the toxin risks harming the aquatic environment. Our findings highlight the great potential ecological risks of the combined Cd and MPs/NPs in the aquatic system.

A proteomics study of the subacute toxicity of rat brain after long-term exposure of Gelsemium elegans

Background: Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) has been shown to have strong pharmacological and pharmacodynamic effects in relevant studies both in China and USA. G. elegans has been used as a traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases and even has the potential to be an alternative to laboratory synthesized drugs. However, its toxicity severely limited its application and development. At present, there is little attention paid to protein changes in toxicity. Aim: This study investigated the toxicity effects after long-term exposure of G. elegans of the rat brain through proteomic. Method: 11 differential abundance proteins were detected, among which 8 proteins were higher in the G. elegans- exposure group than in the control group, including Ig-like domain-containing protein (N/A), receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C (Ptprc), disheveled segment polarity protein 3 (Dvl3), trafficking protein particle complex 12 (Trappc12), seizure-related 6 homolog-like (Sez6l), transmembrane 9 superfamily member 4 (Tm9sf4), DENN domain-containing protein 5A (Dennd5a) and Tle4, whereas the other 3 proteins do the opposite including Golgi to ER traffic protein 4 (Get4), vacuolar protein sorting 4 homolog B (Vps4b) and cadherin-related 23 (CDH23). Furthermore, we performed validation of WB analysis on the key protein CDH23. Result: Finally, only fewer proteins and related metabolic pathways were affected, indicating that there was no accumulative toxicity of G. elegans. G. elegans has the potential to develop and utilize of its pharmacological activity. CHD23, however, is a protein associated with hearing. Conclusion: Whether the hearing impairment is a sequela after G. elegans exposure remains to be further studied.