Worldwide, there are plants known as psychoactive plants that naturally contain psychedelic active components. They have a high concentration of neuroprotective substances that can interact with the nervous system to produce psychedelic effects. Despite these plants' hazardous potential, recreational use of them is on the rise because of their psychoactive properties. Early neuroscience studies relied heavily on psychoactive plants and plant natural products (NPs), and both recreational and hazardous NPs have contributed significantly to the understanding of almost all neurotransmitter systems. Worldwide, there are many plants that contain psychoactive properties, and people have been using them for ages. Psychoactive plant compounds may significantly alter how people perceive the world.
1. PeerJ. 2024 Aug 29;12:e17914. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17914. eCollection 2024. Metabolites profiling of Sapota fruit pulp via a multiplex approach of gas and ultra performance liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy in relation to its lipase inhibition effect. Farag MA(1), Ragab NA(2), Maamoun MAI(2). Author information: (1)Department of Pharmacognosy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. (2)Department of Pharmacognosy, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt. BACKGROUND: Sapota, Manilkara zapota L., are tasty, juicy, and nutrient-rich fruits, and likewise used for several medicinal uses. METHODS: The current study represents an integrated metabolites profiling of sapota fruits pulp via GC/MS and UPLC/MS, alongside assessment of antioxidant capacity, pancreatic lipase (PL), and α-glucosidase enzymes inhibitory effects. RESULTS: GC/MS analysis of silylated primary polar metabolites led to the identification of 68 compounds belonging to sugars (74%), sugar acids (18.27%), and sugar alcohols (7%) mediating the fruit sweetness. Headspace SPME-GC/MS analysis led to the detection of 17 volatile compounds belonging to nitrogenous compounds (72%), ethers (7.8%), terpenes (7.6%), and aldehydes (5.8%). Non-polar metabolites profiling by HR-UPLC/MS/MS-based Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking led to the assignment of 31 peaks, with several novel sphingolipids and fatty acyl amides reported for the first time. Total phenolic content was estimated at 6.79 ± 0.12 mg gallic acid equivalent/gram extract (GAE/g extract), but no flavonoids were detected. The antioxidant capacities of fruit were at 1.62 ± 0.2, 1.49 ± 0.11, and 3.58 ± 0.14 mg Trolox equivalent/gram extract (TE/g extract) via DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, respectively. In vitro enzyme inhibition assays revealed a considerable pancreatic lipase inhibition effect (IC50 = 2.2 ± 0.25 mg/mL), whereas no inhibitory effect towards α-glucosidase enzyme was detected. This study provides better insight into sapota fruit's flavor, nutritional, and secondary metabolites composition mediating for its sensory and health attributes. ©2024 Farag et al. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17914 PMCID: PMC11366232 PMID: 39221269 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: Mohamed A Farag is an Academic Editor for PeerJ. 2. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2024 Dec 15;251:116445. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116445. Epub 2024 Aug 22. Simultaneous determination of icotinib, osimertinib, aumolertinib, and anlotinib in human plasma for therapeutic drug monitoring by UPLC-MS/MS. Xu Y(1), Qie H(1), Zhao H(1), Gao X(1), Gao J(1), Feng Z(1), Bai J(2), Wang M(3). Author information: (1)Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang 050011, PR China. (2)Department of Pharmacy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 12 Jiankang Rd, Shijiazhuang 050011, PR China. (3)Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang 050011, PR China. Electronic address: 46700792@hebmu.edu.cn. Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) such as icotinib, osimertinib, and aumolertinib have emerged as promising treatment options for EGFR mutated Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Additionally, anlotinib, an anti-angiogenic agent targeting VEGFR, FGFR, and PDGFR, has been used in combination with EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC cases. A method utilizing ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for quantifying icotinib, osimertinib, aumolertinib and anlotinib simultaneously in clinical TDM. The chromatographic separation was performed using a Kinetex C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm) and an elution gradient of ammonium acetate in water acidified with 0.1 % formic acid and in acetonitrile. The assay was validated over a linear range of 4-2000 ng/mL for icotinib, 2-1000 ng/mL for osimertinib, 1-500 ng/mL for aumolertinib, and 0.8-400 ng/mL for anlotinib, following the guidelines on bioanalytical methods by FDA. The quantification method exhibited satisfactory performance in terms of selectivity, accuracy (from 91.3 % to 107 %), precision (intra- and inter-day coeffficients of variation ranged from 0.944 % to 7.48 %), linearity, recovery (from 86.0 % to 91.9 %), matrix effect (IS-normalized matrix factors were from 96.7 % to 102 %), and stability. Overall, the method proved to be sensitive, reliable, and straightforward, enabling successful simultaneous determination of blood concentrations of icotinib, osimertinib, aumolertinib, and anlotinib in patients. The validity of the method has been confirmed across various instruments. Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116445 PMID: 39214029 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Mingxia Wang reports financial support was provided by Projects of Hebei Provincial Natural Science Foundation. Mingxia Wang reports financial support was provided by Hebei Science and Technology Major Project for Biological Medicine Innovation and Development. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper 3. Chemosphere. 2024 Sep;363:142936. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142936. Epub 2024 Jul 25. Co-exposure of parabens, benzophenones, triclosan, and triclocarban in human urine from children and adults in South China. Pan Y(1), Wei X(2), Zhu Z(2), Yin R(2), Ma C(3), Jiao X(4), Li AJ(5), Qiu R(6). Author information: (1)Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China. (2)Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. (3)Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China; College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China. (4)Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China. (5)Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address: jing.li@scau.edu.cn. (6)Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: qiurl@scau.edu.cn. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are pervasive in the environment, prompting significant public concern regarding human exposure to these pollutants. In this study, we analyzed the levels of various endocrine-disrupting compounds, including parabens (PBs), benzophenones (BzPs), triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS), across 565 urine samples collected from residents of South China. All 11 target chemicals were detected at relatively high frequencies (41-100%), with the most prevalent ones being 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (5.39 ng/mL), methyl-paraben (5.12 ng/mL), ethyl-paraben (3.11 ng/mL) and triclosan (0.978 ng/mL). PBs emerged as the most predominant group with a median concentration of 32.2 ng/mL, followed by TCs (sum of TCC and TCS, 0.998 ng/mL) and BzPs (0.211 ng/mL). Notably, urinary concentrations of PBs in adults were significantly higher (p < 0.01) compared to children, while BzPs and TCs were elevated in children (p < 0.001). The increased presence of BzPs and TCs in children is a cause for concern, given their heightened sensitivity and vulnerability to chemicals. Significant correlations were found between urinary target compounds and demographic factors, including gender, age and body mass index. Specifically, females, younger adults (18 ≤ age ≤ 35) and individuals with under/normal weight (16 ≤ BMI ≤ 23.9) were found to have higher exposure levels to EDCs, as indicated by the median values of their estimated daily intakes. Despite these higher levels still being lower than the acceptable daily intake thresholds, the health risks stemming from simultaneous exposure to these EDCs must not be overlooked. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142936 PMID: 39067828 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. 4. J Neurosci. 2024 Aug 21;44(34):e0740242024. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0740-24.2024. Acute Ongoing Nociception Delays Recovery of Consciousness from Sevoflurane Anesthesia via a Midbrain Circuit. Zhong CC(1)(2)(3), Xu Z(1)(2)(3), Gan J(1)(2)(3), Yu YM(1)(2)(3), Tang HM(1)(2)(3), Zhu Y(1)(2)(3), Yang JX(1)(2)(3), Ding HL(4)(2)(3), Cao JL(4)(2)(3)(5). Author information: (1)Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou 221004, China. (2)Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou 221004, China. (3)NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China. (4)Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou 221004, China haileimdar@yahoo.com caojl0310@aliyun.com. (5)Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221006, China. Although anesthesia provides favorable conditions for surgical procedures, recent studies have revealed that the brain remains active in processing noxious signals even during anesthesia. However, whether and how these responses affect the anesthesia effect remains unclear. The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG), a crucial hub for pain regulation, also plays an essential role in controlling general anesthesia. Hence, it was hypothesized that the vlPAG may be involved in the regulation of general anesthesia by noxious stimuli. Here, we found that acute noxious stimuli, including capsaicin-induced inflammatory pain, acetic acid-induced visceral pain, and incision-induced surgical pain, significantly delayed recovery from sevoflurane anesthesia in male mice, whereas this effect was absent in the spared nerve injury-induced chronic pain. Pretreatment with peripheral analgesics could prevent the delayed recovery induced by acute nociception. Furthermore, we found that acute noxious stimuli, induced by the injection of capsaicin under sevoflurane anesthesia, increased c-Fos expression and activity in the GABAergic neurons of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray. Specific reactivation of capsaicin-activated vlPAGGABA neurons mimicked the effect of capsaicin and its chemogenetic inhibition prevented the delayed recovery from anesthesia induced by capsaicin. Finally, we revealed that the vlPAGGABA neurons regulated the recovery from anesthesia through the inhibition of ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neuronal activity, thus decreasing dopamine (DA) release and activation of DA D1-like receptors in the brain. These findings reveal a novel, cell- and circuit-based mechanism for regulating anesthesia recovery by nociception, and it is important to provide new insights for guiding the management of the anesthesia recovery period. Copyright © 2024 the authors. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0740-24.2024 PMCID: PMC11340287 PMID: 39019613 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing financial interests. 5. Nutrients. 2024 Jun 26;16(13):2032. doi: 10.3390/nu16132032. Dietary Exposure to Acrylamide Has Negative Effects on the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Review. Palus K(1). Author information: (1)Department of Clinical Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowski Str. 13, 10-718 Olsztyn, Poland. Changing eating habits and an increase in consumption of thermally processed products have increased the risk of the harmful impact of chemical substances in food on consumer health. A 2002 report by the Swedish National Food Administration and scientists at Stockholm University on the formation of acrylamide in food products during frying, baking and grilling contributed to an increase in scientific interest in the subject. Acrylamide is a product of Maillard's reaction, which is a non-enzymatic chemical reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids that takes place during thermal processing. The research conducted over the past 20 years has shown that consumption of acrylamide-containing products leads to disorders in human and animal organisms. The gastrointestinal tract is a complex regulatory system that determines the transport, grinding, and mixing of food, secretion of digestive juices, blood flow, growth and differentiation of tissues, and their protection. As the main route of acrylamide absorption from food, it is directly exposed to the harmful effects of acrylamide and its metabolite-glycidamide. Despite numerous studies on the effect of acrylamide on the digestive tract, no comprehensive analysis of the impact of this compound on the morphology, innervation, and secretory functions of the digestive system has been made so far. Acrylamide present in food products modifies the intestine morphology and the activity of intestinal enzymes, disrupts enteric nervous system function, affects the gut microbiome, and increases apoptosis, leading to gastrointestinal tract dysfunction. It has also been demonstrated that it interacts with other substances in food in the intestines, which increases its toxicity. This paper summarises the current knowledge of the impact of acrylamide on the gastrointestinal tract, including the enteric nervous system, and refers to strategies aimed at reducing its toxic effect. DOI: 10.3390/nu16132032 PMCID: PMC11243272 PMID: 38999779 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: The author declares no conflicts of interest.