Phytoremediation capacity of Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L. f., in waters contaminated with mercury

El objetivo fue evaluar la capacidad fitorremediadora de la especie vegetal H. ranunculoides L. f., en relación a la contaminación de muestras de agua con mercurio a diferentes concentraciones. Para lo cual se realizaron tres etapas, la primera fue la recolección y el cultivo en sistema hidropónico, la segunda la contaminación con mercurio (II) en muestras de agua en laboratorio y la tercera evaluar la capacidad fitorremediadora. Para el análisis del mercurio se usó la técnica de Espectrofotometría de Absorción Atómica (AAS). También se evaluó las alteraciones morfológicas y de composición.  La exposición de la especie vegetal a la contaminación con mercurio a las concentraciones de 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 y 5.0 ppm duró 15 días. En los resultados, muestran que la concentración 1.0 ppm genera clorosis y a 5.0 ppm necrosis; en cuanto a la longitud de raíz, tallo y hojas se observó disminución proporcional a la concentración de mercurio. La morfología interna muestra alteraciones por el mercurio a nivel de pared celular, organización de tejidos y sistema vascular, tanto en raíz, tallo y hoja. En la composición se observó disminución del porcentaje de humedad, cenizas, proteínas, grasas y fibra e incremento del porcentaje de carbohidratos, en diferentes concentraciones. El factor de bioacumulación fue mayor a 1000 mg/L hasta la concentración 1.0 ppm de mercurio. El factor de traslocación en las concentraciones 0.1 y 0.5 ppm Hg2+ es > 1mg/L y en concentraciones de 1.0, 2.0 y 5.0 ppm Hg2+ el mercurio se encuentra en mayor proporción en raíz.The objective was to evaluate the phytoremediation capacity of the plant species H. ranunculoides L. f., In relation to the contamination of water samples with mercury at different concentrations. For which three stages were carried out, the first was the collection and cultivation in a hydroponic system, the second the contamination with mercury (II) in laboratory water samples and the third evaluated the phytoremediation capacity. For the analysis of mercury, the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) technique was used. Morphological and compositional alterations were also evaluated. Exposure of the plant species to mercury contamination at concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 ppm lasted 15 days. In the results, they show that the 1.0 ppm concentration generates chlorosis and at 5.0 ppm necrosis; As for the length of the root, stem and leaves, a proportional decrease was observed in the mercury concentration. Internal morphology shows alterations by mercury at the cell wall level, tissue organization and vascular system, both in root, stem and leaf. In the composition, a decrease in the percentage of humidity, ashes, proteins, fats and fiber and an increase in the percentage of carbohydrates were observed, in different concentrations. The bioaccumulation factor was greater than 1000 mg / L up to the 1.0 ppm concentration of mercury. The translocation factor in concentrations 0.1 and 0.5 ppm Hg2 + is> 1mg / L and in concentrations of 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 ppm Hg2 + mercury is found in a higher proportion in the root

Taste evaluation of potato glycoalkaloids by the Aymara: A case study in human chemical ecology

A chemical ecological model can be the basis for defining testable hypotheses concerning human interactions with plants. Selection by Aymara subsistence cultivators against toxic glycoalkaloids in the ongoing domestication of the Bolivian potato cultigen Solanum X ajanhuiri was used as a specific case study of human interactions with phytochemicals. In taste perception tests, Aymara subjects were able to discriminate between concentrations of pure glycoalkaloids in solution only above 20 mg/100 ml. Taste panel tests of potato clones indicated that glycoalkaloid levels are important to the Aymara in determining quality only as part of a decision-making process involving two character states: too high or acceptable. Glycoalkaloids in potatoes are regarded as toxic to humans above 20 mg/100 g fresh weight. Among the Aymara, a breakpoint in the curve for glycoalkaloid preference appears to occur between 20–38 mg/100 g. This distinction is evident in the Aymara potato taxonomy which distinguishes bitter (luq'i ch'oke) from nonbitter (ch'oke) potatoes .Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44480/1/10745_2004_Article_BF00888308.pd

Immunoglobulin, glucocorticoid, or combination therapy for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: a propensity-weighted cohort study

Background Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a hyperinflammatory condition associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, has emerged as a serious illness in children worldwide. Immunoglobulin or glucocorticoids, or both, are currently recommended treatments. Methods The Best Available Treatment Study evaluated immunomodulatory treatments for MIS-C in an international observational cohort. Analysis of the first 614 patients was previously reported. In this propensity-weighted cohort study, clinical and outcome data from children with suspected or proven MIS-C were collected onto a web-based Research Electronic Data Capture database. After excluding neonates and incomplete or duplicate records, inverse probability weighting was used to compare primary treatments with intravenous immunoglobulin, intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids, or glucocorticoids alone, using intravenous immunoglobulin as the reference treatment. Primary outcomes were a composite of inotropic or ventilator support from the second day after treatment initiation, or death, and time to improvement on an ordinal clinical severity scale. Secondary outcomes included treatment escalation, clinical deterioration, fever, and coronary artery aneurysm occurrence and resolution. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN69546370. Findings We enrolled 2101 children (aged 0 months to 19 years) with clinically diagnosed MIS-C from 39 countries between June 14, 2020, and April 25, 2022, and, following exclusions, 2009 patients were included for analysis (median age 8·0 years [IQR 4·2–11·4], 1191 [59·3%] male and 818 [40·7%] female, and 825 [41·1%] White). 680 (33·8%) patients received primary treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, 698 (34·7%) with intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids, 487 (24·2%) with glucocorticoids alone; 59 (2·9%) patients received other combinations, including biologicals, and 85 (4·2%) patients received no immunomodulators. There were no significant differences between treatments for primary outcomes for the 1586 patients with complete baseline and outcome data that were considered for primary analysis. Adjusted odds ratios for ventilation, inotropic support, or death were 1·09 (95% CI 0·75–1·58; corrected p value=1·00) for intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids and 0·93 (0·58–1·47; corrected p value=1·00) for glucocorticoids alone, versus intravenous immunoglobulin alone. Adjusted average hazard ratios for time to improvement were 1·04 (95% CI 0·91–1·20; corrected p value=1·00) for intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids, and 0·84 (0·70–1·00; corrected p value=0·22) for glucocorticoids alone, versus intravenous immunoglobulin alone. Treatment escalation was less frequent for intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids (OR 0·15 [95% CI 0·11–0·20]; p<0·0001) and glucocorticoids alone (0·68 [0·50–0·93]; p=0·014) versus intravenous immunoglobulin alone. Persistent fever (from day 2 onward) was less common with intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids compared with either intravenous immunoglobulin alone (OR 0·50 [95% CI 0·38–0·67]; p<0·0001) or glucocorticoids alone (0·63 [0·45–0·88]; p=0·0058). Coronary artery aneurysm occurrence and resolution did not differ significantly between treatment groups. Interpretation Recovery rates, including occurrence and resolution of coronary artery aneurysms, were similar for primary treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin when compared to glucocorticoids or intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids. Initial treatment with glucocorticoids appears to be a safe alternative to immunoglobulin or combined therapy, and might be advantageous in view of the cost and limited availability of intravenous immunoglobulin in many countries. Funding Imperial College London, the European Union's Horizon 2020, Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Foundation, UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, and National Institutes of Health