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Graphical abstract, Highlights • Furanocoumarins are the main CYP1A2 inhibitors in A. majus and A. archangelica. • The inhibitory potencies appear additive to CYP1A2 activity in vitro. • BMD determination for human furanocoumarin-consumption and CYP1A2 inhibition., Millions of individuals globally consume traditional herbal medicines (THMs), which contain abundant amounts of linear furanocoumarins. Linear furanocoumarins (i.e., 8-methoxypsoralen, 5-methoxypsoralen, and isopimpinellin) are inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes including 1A2, a major enzyme involved in drug metabolism and carcinogen bioactivation. Despite the high consumption of furanocoumarin-containing THMs, no studies have measured the furanocoumarin consumption level that triggers an inhibition to CYP1A2 activity in humans. The first objective was to verify if the potencies of the three furanocoumarins are additive towards the inhibition of CYP1A2 activity in vitro using concentration-addition and whole-mixture chemical-mixture-assessment models. A second objective was to determine the benchmark dose (BMD) with the mixtures of furanocoumarin oral doses, expressed as 8-MOP equivalents, and to assess the in vivo CYP1A2 activity, expressed as inhibition percentages. The in vitro results indicated that the three furanocoumarin inhibitory potencies were additive in the THM extracts, validating the use of the concentration-addition model in total furanocoumarin dose-equivalent calculations. Using the USEPA BMD software, the BMD was 18.9 μg 8-MOP equivalent/kg body weight. This information is crucial for furanocoumarin-related health-assessment studies and the regulation of THMs. Further studies should be performed for the remaining major metabolic enzymes to complete the safety profile of furanocoumarin-containing THMs and to provide accurate warning labelling.

Highlights • Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detected estrogenic chemicals in coffee. • The potential risk to health is likely to be low relative to established guidelines. • Future studies should evaluate the health risk from chronic coffee consumption., The objective of this study was to examine exposure to estrogenic chemicals (ECs) via capsule coffee. Twenty-two brands of capsule coffee and 15 brands of French press coffee for comparison were brewed, and their contents of ECs were identified and quantified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Exposure to ECs in coffee were compared to tolerable daily intake guidelines to assess potential hazard to health. Benzophenone was the most frequently detected EC in capsule coffee (mean concentration ± SD: 20.37 ± 47.07 ng/mL, n = 6), followed by bisphenol A (BPA, 0.31 ± 0.71, n = 4), dibutyl phthalate (1.41 ± 3.58, n = 3), 4-nonylphenol (0.67 ± 1.82, n = 3) and bisphenol F (BPF, 0.49 ± 1.54, n = 2). BPA and BPF were each detected in 3 French press coffee samples (0.29 ± 0.58 and 0.85 ± 1.75 ng/mL, respectively). Two French press coffee brands purchased as ground coffee rather than whole bean were positive for ECs (BPA in one and BPF in both). Hazard indexes were below 1.0 for each EC for both coffee types. These results indicate that there is EC contamination in capsule and French press coffee, but the quantities of ECs are low relative to established safety guidelines.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • The contents of glabridin and medical component glycyrrhizin were analyzed in herbal medicines and health foods containing licorice. • A small amount of glycyrrhizin was detected in some of health foods. • Estrogenic activity was detected in some of health food ingredients and health foods. • Antioxidant activity was detected in all the materials. • Hepatic CYP activity, liver and uterine weights in estrogen deficient mice are also valuable for the safety evaluation of estrogenic ingredients., Focusing on licorice, a highly used raw material in health foods, quantitative analysis of functional/medicinal components and a safety and functional evaluation was carried out for herbal medicines, health food ingredients, and so-called health foods. A functional component, glabridin, was detected in herbal medicines from Glycyrrhiza glabra and G. inflata, health food ingredients, and in commercially available health foods that contain licorice. Likewise, glycyrrhizin, a medicinal component, was detected in these sources, except in licorice oil extract. Estrogen activity in vitro was detected in some of the herbal medicines, health food ingredients, and in health foods containing licorice. In the in vivo study, liver weight in ovariectomized (OVX) mice treated with licorice oil extract was significantly higher than that in OVX and sham mice in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that excessive intake of licorice oil extract from health foods should be avoided, even though these ingredients might be beneficial for medical use in order to maintain bone health in postmenopausal women. Measurement of hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP) activity, reproductive organ weight, and fat and bone mass in OVX mice was considered useful for evaluating the safety and efficacy of estrogenic health food ingredients derived from herbal medicines.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • Measurement of BPA in human tissues and organs is critically analyzed. • The tumorigenic effects of low and high dose BPA in-vitro and in-vivo experiments discussed. • BPA induced DNA damage and activation of signaling pathways that initiate tumorigenic changes in target cell have been discussed. • New experimental approaches to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of BPA proposed., Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most widely used synthetic compounds on the planet. Upon entering the diet, its highest concentration (1–104 ng/g of tissue) has been recorded in the placenta and fetus. This accumulation of BPA can have many health hazards ranging from the easy to repair single strand DNA breaks (SSBs) to error prone double strand DNA breaks (DSBs). Although the Human liver can efficiently metabolize BPA via glucuronidation and sulfation pathways, however the by-product Bisphenol-o-quinone has been shown to act as a DNA adduct. Low doses of BPA have also been shown to interact with various signaling pathways to disrupt normal downstream signaling. Analysis has been made on how BPA could interact with several signaling pathways such as NFκB, JNK, MAPK, ER and AR that eventually lead to disease morphology and even tumorigenesis. The role of low dose BPA is also discussed in dysregulating Ca2+ homeostasis of the cell by inhibiting calcium channels such as SPCA1/2 to suggest a new direction for future research in the realms of BPA induced disease morphology and mutagenicity.

Cyanobacterial blooms can affect a wide range of aquatic organisms due to the presence of toxic compounds. However, no study so far has shown the effects of natural blooms samples on the physiological parameters related to the ecology of Daphnia. In this study we used a natural bloom sample obtained from a reservoir in Colombia to evaluate its effects on five parameters related to Daphnia's feeding behavior, swimming movements and physiology: second antennae movement (swimming), mandible movement (feeding), thoracic appendages (feeding), postabdomen movement (rejection of food particles) and heart rate (physiology). The results revealed significant changes in all parameters evaluated at two different concentrations of aqueous extracts of the bloom: second antennae movements increased significantly and there were significant reductions in mandibular movements, thoracic movements and heart rate. Although postabdominal movements showed high variability with no distinctive pattern between control and treatments, the reduction in the other parameters (such as heart rate over time) could possibly reflect an intoxication by microcystins or a behavioral response (e.g., feeding inhibition).