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Mol Plant 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;. Electronic address:

Iron (Fe) storage in plant seeds is not only necessary for seedling establishment following germination, but also a major source of dietary Fe for human and animal life. Seed Fe accumulation was known to be low during early seed development. However, the underlying mechanism and biological significance remain elusive. Read More

J Mater Chem B 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. and Institute of Biopathology and Regenerative Medicine (IBIMER), Center of Biomedical Research (CIBM), University of Granada, Granada, Spain and Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Andalusian Health Service (SAS), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.

(Maghemite/poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide))/chitosan (core/shell)/shell nanoparticles have been prepared reproducibly by nanoprecipitation solvent evaporation plus coacervation (production performance ≈ 45%, average size ≈ 325 nm). Transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electrophoretic determinations, and X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrated the satisfactory embedment of iron oxide nanocores within the solid polymer matrix and the formation of an external shell of chitosan in the nanostructure. The adequate magnetic responsiveness of the nanocomposites was characterized in vitro by hysteresis cycle determinations and by visualization of the nanosystem under the influence of a 0. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2021 May 29;790:148151. Epub 2021 May 29.

School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, PR China.

Using Aspergillus niger (A. niger) to produce low-concentration organic acids is challenging for dissolving InO from waste LCD (liquid crystal display) panels with high toxicity. In this study, three bioleaching approaches from the general and the optimized fermentation systems were investigated respectively to compare indium recovery effects and firstly clarified its bioleaching mechanism. Read More

Environ Sci Technol 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States.

Particulate matter is a large concern for human health. Fine and ultrafine particulate matter has been shown to negatively impact human health; for example, it causes cardiopulmonary diseases. Current regulation targets the size of the particles, but composition also impacts toxicity. Read More

Braz J Biol 2021 4;82:e234692. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

Universidade La Salle - Unilasalle, Canoas, RS, Brasil.

The Gravataí River basin, one of the main water sources of the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, is among the ten most polluted rivers in Brazil. Water quality is monitored only through physico-chemical and microbiological parameters in Brazil, and in this context, considering the importance of the use of biomarkers in complementing the analysis of water, the present study aimed to evaluate the environmental quality of the main affluent of the Gravataí River, Demetrio stream, through physico-chemical, microbiological, and cytogenotoxic criteria, at the stream source (P1), whereas samples P2 and P3 were obtained from the upstream near the area with the highest urban density and the downstream near the meeting point with the Gravataí River, respectively. The results for copper concentration and color classified the Demetrio stream as Class 4 in general, that is, the water is suitable only for navigation and to landscape harmony. Read More

J Nanobiotechnology 2021 Jun 8;19(1):171. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Department of Radiology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of head and neck malignant tumor with a high incidence in specific regional distribution, and its traditional therapies face some challenges. It has become an urgent need to seek new therapeutic strategies without or with low toxicity and side effects. At present, more and more researchers has been attracting attention by nanotheranostic platform. Read More

J Hazard Mater 2021 May 27;418:126180. Epub 2021 May 27.

The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.

The large consumption of acetaminophen (APAP) worldwide and unsatisfactory treatment efficiencies by conventional wastewater treatment processes give rise to the seeking of new technology for its effective removal. Herein, we proposed a facile one-step hydrothermal method to synthesize defective iron deposited titanate nanotubes (Fe/TNTs) for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and APAP degradation. The retarded first-order reaction rate of APAP degradation by Fe/TNTs was 5. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2021 ;2326:327-337

School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, China.

Trace metal elements, such as zinc, iron, copper, and manganese, play catalytic or structural roles in many enzymes and numerous proteins, and accordingly, contribute to a variety of fundamental biological processes. During the past decade, the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) has become an important model organism for elucidating metal homeostasis in metazoan. We have been using Drosophila as a model to study metal metabolism for many years and have optimized simple and robust assays for determining the metal content in Drosophila, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), the activity assay of enzymes dependent on metals, and staining metal ions in tissues of Drosophila. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021 Jun 7. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais (FCBA), Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFGD), Rodovia Dourados - Itahum, Km 12, CEP, Dourados, MS, 79804-970, Brazil.

Baru (Dipteryx alata Vogel) is a native tree plant, widely distributed in Brazil, and has a growth and development in acidic soils like Cerrado, indicating a probable tolerance to adverse soil conditions, such as the high concentration of metals and the acidic pH. Due to the lack of information about the tolerance of this species to metals and the possibility of being used in the recovery of degraded areas and/or in phytoremediation, this work was developed with the objective of evaluating the in vitro germination and growth capacity of baru in medium supplemented with different concentrations of aluminum, iron, and manganese, as well as through chemical analysis, to determine the concentration of metals accumulated in cultivated plants in these conditions. The treatments consisted in different concentrations of metals: aluminum, Al (0, 3. Read More

Acta Pharm Sin B 2021 May 29;11(5):1329-1340. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Henan Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has been approved for clinical photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to its negligible photosensitive toxicity. However, the curative effect of 5-ALA is restricted by intracellular biotransformation inactivation of 5-ALA and potential DNA repair of tumor cells. Inspired by the crucial function of iron ions in 5-ALA transformation and DNA repair, a liposomal nanomedicine ([email protected]/DFO) with intracellular iron ion regulation property was developed for boosting the PDT of 5-ALA, which was prepared by co-encapsulating 5-ALA and DFO (deferoxamine, a special iron chelator) into the membrane fusion liposomes (MFLs). Read More

Acta Biomater 2021 May 31. Epub 2021 May 31.

Hefei National Lab for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Centers for Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China. Electronic address:

Transdermal delivery is an attractive strategy for treating superficial tumors. However, the applications of existing transdermal systems have been limited by low transdermal efficiency and poor therapeutic outcomes. Here, we develop a transdermal nanoplatform (+)T-SiDs, based on superparamagnetic iron oxide core, surface-modified with cationic lipids, transdermal enhanced peptide TD, and 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide (DiR), and loaded with doxorubicin. Read More

Eye (Lond) 2021 Jun 2. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

In human retina, photoreceptor cell death (PCD) is a slow but conspicuous event, which continues with aging. Rods die earlier than cones, the latter continue to alter in a subtle manner until advanced aging. This review summarizes the existing information on age-related changes in photoreceptor cells, especially cones and analyses the possible associated factors. Read More

Materials (Basel) 2021 May 28;14(11). Epub 2021 May 28.

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kazimierz Pulaski University of Technology and Humanities in Radom, ul. Stasieckiego 54, 26-600 Radom, Poland.

In the paper, investigation results of the uptake efficiency of radionuclides Co, Sr, and Cs dissolved in water onto iron oxides α-FeO and FeO are presented. It was found that sorption efficiency increased for higher pH values. Independent of the oxide nature, the uptake characteristics are the best toward Co and the worst toward Cs, forming the row as follows: Co > Sr > Cs. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 May 30;18(11). Epub 2021 May 30.

College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.

In this study, the role of exogenous root exudates and microorganisms was investigated in the application of modified nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) for the remediation of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil. In this experiment, citric acid (CA) was used to simulate root exudates, which were then added to water and soil to simulate the pore water and rhizosphere environment. In detail, the experiment in water demonstrated that low concentration of CA facilitated Cd removal by nZVI, while the high concentration achieved the opposite. Read More

Molecules 2021 May 14;26(10). Epub 2021 May 14.

Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa.

The dimeric dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), metalloenzyme, an adjunct anti-cancer drug target, contains highly specialized 4 × FeS clusters per chain. These clusters facilitate the catalysis of the rate-limiting step in the pyrimidine degradation pathway through a harmonized electron transfer cascade that triggers a redox catabolic reaction. In the process, the bulk of the administered 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) cancer drug is inactivated, while a small proportion is activated to nucleic acid antimetabolites. Read More

Materials (Basel) 2021 May 17;14(10). Epub 2021 May 17.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.

The renal toxicity induced by the intravenously injected iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) encapsulated in phospholipid-based polymeric micelles was studied in CD1 mice for 2 weeks. Two doses of 5 and 15 mg of Fe/kg bodyweight of NPs or saline solution (control) were tested, and the levels of antioxidant enzyme activities, oxidative stress parameters, and the expressions of kidney fibrosis biomarkers were analyzed. The enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the kidney were significantly decreased compared to the control in the first 3 days followed by a recovery up to 14 days. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 May 11;22(10). Epub 2021 May 11.

Micalis Institute, AgroParisTech, INRAE, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.

Bacterial response to nitric oxide (NO) is of major importance for bacterial survival. NO stress is a main actor of the eukaryotic immune response and several pathogenic bacteria have developed means for detoxification and repair of the damages caused by NO. However, bacterial mechanisms of NO resistance by Gram-positive bacteria are poorly described. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 May 5;22(9). Epub 2021 May 5.

Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bialystok, Ciolkowskiego 1k, 15-245 Bialystok, Poland.

One of the promising strategies for improvement of cancer treatment is application of a combination therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of nanoformulations containing doxorubicin and iron oxide particles covered with polymeric shells bearing cholesterol moieties. It was postulated that due to high affinity to cell membranes, particles comprising poly(cholesteryl acrylate) can sensitize cancer cells to doxorubicin chemotherapy. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2021 May 5;13(9). Epub 2021 May 5.

Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201301, India.

Magnetic nanoparticles gained considerable attention in last few years due to their remarkable properties. Superparamaganetism, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, chemical inertness, and environmental friendliness are some of the properties that make iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) an ideal choice for biomedical applications. Along with being easily tuneable and a tailored surface for conjugation of IONPs, their physio-chemical and biological properties can also be varied by modifying the basic parameters for synthesis that enhances the additional possibilities for designing novel magnetic nanomaterial for theranostic applications. Read More

Environ Pollut 2021 May 21;286:117389. Epub 2021 May 21.

College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. Electronic address:

Arsenic (As) is one of the most toxic and cancer-causing metals which is generally entered the food chain via intake of As contaminated water or food and harmed the life of living things especially human beings. Therefore, the reduction of As content in the food could be of great importance for healthy life. To reduce As contamination in the soil and food, the evaluation of plant-based As uptake and transportation mechanisms is critically needed. Read More

Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2021 May 28:103367. Epub 2021 May 28.

St. Paul's Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address:

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders. MDS patients often require red blood cell transfusions, resulting in iron overload (IOL). IOL increases production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxygen free radicals. Read More

Pharmacol Res 2021 May 28;170:105698. Epub 2021 May 28.

Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy.

The emergence of pan-resistant strains in nosocomial settings underscores the urgent need of novel therapies targeting vital bacterial functions. Bacterial iron metabolism is a fascinating target for new antimicrobials. Iron mimetic metal Ga(III) has been repurposed as an antimicrobial drug, in pre-clinical studies and recent clinical studies have raised the possibility of using Ga(III) for the treatment of P. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2021 May 27. Epub 2021 May 27.

Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.

Background: The major confirmed genetic risk factor for late-onset, sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) is variant ɛ4 of apolipoprotein E gene (APOE). It is proposed that ApoE, a protein involved in transport of cholesterol to neurons can cause neurodegeneration in AD through interaction with metals. Previous studies mostly associated copper, iron, zinc, and calcium with ApoE4-mediated toxicity. Read More

ACS Omega 2021 May 3;6(19):12410-12423. Epub 2021 May 3.

Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería, Grupo de Nanomateriales e Ingeniería de Procesos Asistida por Computador, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena 130010, Colombia.

Green synthesis, based on green chemistry, is replacing the traditional methods, aiming to contribute with an enhanced environmental sustainability, which can be achieved using nontoxic compounds from biological resources, such as natural extracts from plants. In this study, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of iron oxide nanoparticles prepared through the green synthesis and the coprecipitation method is reported by following a cradle-to-gate approach. The LCA allowed quantifying and normalized the environmental impacts produced by the green synthesis (1. Read More

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2021 May 18;260:119964. Epub 2021 May 18.

Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China. Electronic address:

Herein, we propose an eco-friendly synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) and ingeniously design a rapid and label-free "turn-off" sensing platform for ultrasensitive recognition of Fe in vitro and in vivo. CDs with extraordinary advantages involving exceptional stability, ultra-low toxicity as well as admirable biocompatibility were simply prepared via one-step hydrothermal strategy of Caulis polygoni multiflora. Result indicated that as-acquired CDs not only exhibit excitation dependency, but also have a high quantum yield of (QY) up to 42%. Read More

J Environ Manage 2021 May 27;293:112858. Epub 2021 May 27.

School of Water Resources, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721 302, India.

The rapid rise in the healthcare sector has led to an increase in pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in different aqueous bodies. The toxicity of the PhACs and their ability to persist after conventional treatment processes have escalated research in the field of photocatalytic treatment. Although different photocatalysts have been successful in degrading PhACs, their inherent drawbacks have severely limited their application on a large scale. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2021 May 28:1-4. Epub 2021 May 28.

Division of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.

Introduction: Colloidal silver packaged as a dietary supplement is readily available online and is thought to be safe. Literature describing its toxicity in humans is scarce.

Case Report: A 47-year-old man presented to us for sensory and gait problems. Read More

Chemosphere 2021 May 18;281:130824. Epub 2021 May 18.

Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants, The University of Arizona, Gould-Simpson Building #828 & 848, 1040 East 4th Street, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States; Department of Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, 1177 E. 4th Street, P.O. Box 210038, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States. Electronic address:

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, CHFO) is an industrial surfactant that is highly resistant to natural breakdown processes such as those mediated by heat, hydrolysis, photolysis, and biodegradation. Many efforts have been developed to breakdown PFOA to less harmful species due to its widespread human exposure and potential toxicity. However, these methods require high temperature or specialized equipment with serious disadvantages of high energy cost for long-term use. Read More

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2021 May 24;424:115596. Epub 2021 May 24.

School of Basic Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, China. Electronic address:

Excessive iron deposition can produce toxicity. Liver, as the main storage site of iron, is more vulnerable to excessive iron than other organs. Many studies have found that Resveratrol (RES) can effectively eliminate oxygen free radicals and resist lipid peroxide damage. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021 May 25. Epub 2021 May 25.

Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.

Many studies on the toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) have reported different levels of toxicity for various types of NPs. This study aimed to examine the morpho-ultrastructural impact of iron oxide (FeO) NPs on seed germination in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum var. Turkish) using different sizes and concentrations of nanoparticles. Read More