Antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory potential of Euphorbia resinifera and E. officinarum honeys from Morocco and plant aqueous extracts

Natural products may be applied in a wide range of domains, from agriculture to food and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, the antioxidant properties and the capacity to inhibit some enzymatic activities of Euphorbia resinifera and Euphorbia officinarum aqueous extracts and honeys were assessed. The physicochemical characteristics were also evaluated. Higher amounts of iron, copper and aluminium were detected in E. officinarum honey, which may indicate environmental pollution around the beehives or inadequate storage of honey samples. This honey sample showed higher amounts of total phenols and better capacity for scavenging superoxide anion free radicals and DPPH free radicals as compared with E. resinifera honey, but poorer capacity for inhibiting lipoxygenase, acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase and xanthine oxidase. The ratio plant mass:solvent volume (1:100) and extraction time (1 - 2 h) were associated with higher total phenols and better antioxidant activities and lipoxygenase, acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitory activities, regardless of the plant species. The aqueous extracts had systematically higher in vitro activities than the respective honey samples.

     

Halogen content relative to the chemical and biochemical composition of fifteen marine macro and micro algae: nutritional value,energy supply,antioxidant potency,and health risk assessment

Marine algae have made a strong contribution to global food security in the future. This study is the first report describing the concentration, pathways, and interactions of halogens in 15 species of marine algae collected from the Eastern Harbor in Alexandria, Egypt, relative to 22 key variables. The relationship between halogen content and chemical and biochemical parameters was studied through multivariate analysis. Among all the tested algae, the iodine content was the lowest (2.53–3.00 μg/g). The range of fluoride and chloride in macroalgae (1.12–1.70 and 0.10–0.46 mg/g) was smaller than that of microalgae (0.10–0.46 and 1.48–3.17 mg/g). The bromide content in macroalgae (0.36–5.45 mg/g) was higher than that in microalgae (0.40–0.76 mg/g). The halogen content in macroalgae was arranged in the order of Br > F > Cl > I. In addition, the biochemical parameters such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and certain heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ni, Co, Cd, and Cr) were determined. Calories, energy, total antioxidant activity (TAC), K/Na, and ion quotient amounts were estimated. The results showed that the green seaweed species had the highest TAC content. In most of the studied algal species, the calculated ion quotient referred to their likelihood of overcoming high blood pressure. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of algae showed no adverse effects on human health. Most of the research variables are below the acceptable WHO/FAO level. Generally, the calorie content of the selected algae is less than 2 kcal, which makes the algae considered an alternative source of healthy food to reduce obesity.

Graphical abstract

     

Beyond ‘trees are good’: Disservices,management costs,and tradeoffs in urban forestry

The provision of ecosystem services is a prominent rationale for urban greening, and there is a prevailing mantra that ‘trees are good’. However, understanding how urban trees contribute to sustainability must also consider disservices. In this perspective article, we discuss recent research on ecosystem disservices of urban trees, including infrastructure conflicts, health and safety impacts, aesthetic issues, and environmentally detrimental consequences, as well as management costs related to ecological disturbances and risk management. We also discuss tradeoffs regarding species selection and local conservation concerns, as well as the central role of human perception in the interpretation of ecosystem services and disservices, particularly the uncritical assertion that ‘everybody loves trees’. Urban forestry decision-making that fails to account for disservices can have unintended negative consequences for communities. Further research is needed regarding life cycle assessments, stakeholder decision-making, return-on-investment, and framings of services and disservices in urban forestry.     

Seveso Women's Health Study: a study of the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on reproductive health

Although reproductive effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure have been reported in numerous investigations of animals, studies of this association in humans are limited. In 1976, an explosion in Seveso, Italy exposed the surrounding population to among the highest levels of TCDD recorded in humans. The relatively pure exposure to TCDD and the ability to quantify individual level TCDD exposure from sera collected in 1976 for the Seveso cohort affords a unique opportunity to evaluate the potential dose-response relationship between TCDD exposure and a spectrum of reproductive endpoints. The Seveso Women's Health Study (SWHS) is the first comprehensive study of the reproductive health of a human population exposed to TCDD. The primary objectives of the study are to investigate the relationship of TCDD and the following endpoints: (1) endometriosis; (2) menstrual cycle characteristics; (3) age at menarche; (4) birth outcomes of pregnancies conceived after 1976; (5) time to conception and clinical infertility; and (6) age at menopause. Included in the SWHS cohort are women who were 0-40 yr old in 1976, who have adequate stored sera collected between 1976 and 1980, and who resided in Zones A or B at the time of the accident. All women were interviewed extensively about their reproductive and pregnancy history and had a blood draw. For an eligible subset of women, a pelvic exam and transvaginal ultrasound were conducted and a menstrual diary was completed. More than 95% of the women were located 20 yr after the accident and roughly 80% of the cohort agreed to participate. Data collection was completed in July 1998, serum TCDD analysis of samples for analysis of endometriosis as a nested case-control study was completed in October 1998, and statistical analysis of these data should be completed in early 1999. Serum samples are now being analyzed in order to relate TCDD levels with the remaining reproductive outcomes.     

Microwave regeneration of activated carbon used for removal of solvents from vented air

A microwave regeneration of activated carbon used to remove organic solvents from vented air has been investigated. Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), acetone, and tetrachloroethylene (TCE) vapors were removed from vented air through adsorption onto granular activated carbon. The saturated carbon was then regenerated in a microwave field, where the solvent was quickly desorbed and recovered from the inner pores of the carbon granules. The microwave-induced regeneration restored the original adsorption capacity and surface area of the activated carbon.     

Indoor and outdoor air quality investigation at schools in Hong Kong

Five classrooms in Hong Kong (HK), air-conditioned or ceiling fans ventilated, were chosen for investigation of indoor and outdoor air quality. Parameters such as temperature, relative humidity (RH), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), respirable particulate matter (PM10), formaldehyde (HCHO), and total bacteria counts were monitored indoors and outdoors simultaneously. The average respirable particulate matter concentrations were higher than the HK Objective, and the maximum indoor PM10 level exceeded 1000 microg/m3. Indoor CO2 concentrations often exceeded 1000 microl/l in air-conditioning and ceiling fan classrooms, indicating inadequate ventilation. Maximum indoor CO2 level reached 5900 microl/l during class at the classroom with cooling tower ventilation. Increasing the rate of ventilation or implementation of breaks between classes is recommended to alleviate the high CO2 level. Other pollution parameters measured in this study complied with the standards. The two most important classroom air quality problems in Hong Kong were PM10 and CO2 levels.     

Study on the cytotoxicity of microcystin-LR on cultured cells

The toxicity of purified blue-green algal toxin, microcystin-LR, on permanent cell lines KB, NIH/3T3, H-4-II-E, HeLa, Vero, Hep G2, Caco-2 and HL-60 was studied. Assessment of cell viability using colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays indicated that purified microcystin-LR induced toxic effect on KB and H-4-II-E cell lines after 96 h incubation at toxin concentrations greater than 18.75 microg/ml. KB cell line was selected for further study when reproducibility, consistency and sensitivity were considered. Significant amounts of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were released from KB cells when incubation durations were 72 and 96 h with toxin concentrations of 18.75 microg/ml and higher. Although previous studies suggested that microcystin-LR had no cytotoxic effect on permanent cell lines, LDH release assay performed on KB cells indicated that exposure to microcystin-LR could result in damage to the cell membrane.     

Priority assessment of toxic substances in life cycle assessment. Part I: calculation of toxicity potentials for 181 substances with the nested multi-media fate, exposure and effects model USES-LCA

Toxicity potentials are standard values used in life cycle assessment (LCA) to enable a comparison of toxic impacts between substances. In most cases, toxicity potentials are calculated with multi-media fate models. Until now, unrealistic system settings were used for these calculations. The present paper outlines an improved model to calculate toxicity potentials: the global nested multi-media fate, exposure and effects model USES-LCA. It is based on the Uniform System for the Evaluation of Substances 2.0 (USES 2.0). USES-LCA was used to calculate for 181 substances toxicity potentials for the six impact categories freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, freshwater sediment ecotoxicity, marine sediment ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity and human toxicity, after initial emission to the compartments air, freshwater, seawater, industrial soil and agricultural soil, respectively. Differences of several orders of magnitude were found between the new toxicity potentials and those calculated previously.     

The influence on partial order ranking from input parameter uncertainty. Definition of a robustness parameter

The method of partial order ranking has been used within the environmental area for a variety of purposes as an attractive way of handling complex information. However, the environmental data are often associated with a significant degree of uncertainty. In this investigation the general nature of the influence from data uncertainty on the partial order ranking is analyzed. A Monte Carlo type analysis is performed in which a series of randomly formed data are used to test the influence of data uncertainty. The partial order ranking is interpreted, where the results are transferred to a one-dimensional ranking scale taking into account that not all elements are ranked with the same certainty. A simple general robustness parameter (E) in form of the expected number of comparisons for each ranking element is defined and correlated to the uncertainty analysis results. A simple equation relates E to the number of elements and the number of parameters, respectively. The magnitude of the ranking uncertainty is shown to increase rapidly when the E value decreases below 4-5 comparisons per element. When the E value exceeds 5 the ranking uncertainty becomes nearly constant and independent on the actual E value.