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Camelliatea, rich in phytonutrients, holds significant potential in combating oxidative stress linked to neurological diseases. Its phytonutrients include polyphenolic electron shuttles (ES), which majorly stimulate bioenergy through microbial fuel cells (MFC) due to their redox-cycling properties. Previous research highlighted the bioenergy-stimulating and antiviral capabilities of ES in herbal extracts (Tsai, Hsieh et al., 2022; Tsai, Hsueh et al., 2022), yet their neuroprotective role remains unexplored. This study investigates the neuroprotective potential of mandarin orange pu-erh tea (CRPR), a subclass of Camelliatea. Phytochemical contents and antioxidant capacities of CRPR water (CRPR-W) and ethanol (CRPR-E) extracts were assessed. Cyclic voltammetry and MFC were employed to evaluate the electron-shuttling and bioenergy-stimulating characteristics of these extracts. In silico molecular docking analyses with tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) were done to explore the neuroprotective potentials of CRPR's ES. Results indicated that CRPR-E (total polyphenols 224.15 ± 0.55 gallic acid mg/g; total flavonoids 18.31 ± 0.51 rutin mg/g; amplification 1.88 ± 0.34) is better at acquiring antioxidative and bioenergy-stimulating phytochemicals, particularly flavonoids, compared to CRPR-W (total polyphenols 110.66 ± 1.05 gallic acid mg/g; total flavonoids 6.26 ± 0.13 rutin mg/g; amplification 1.76 ± 0.27). Molecular docking revealed that flavonoid ES, such as quercetin (−6.2 kcal/mol), luteolin (−6.0 kcal/mol), and taxifolin (−5.8 kcal/mol), exhibit favorable binding affinities with TrkB, with quercetin showing the most promise at the active site. Additionally, other ES like luteolin (−6.5 kcal/mol; allosteric site #1) and ellagic acid (−6.4 kcal/mol; allosteric site #2) are likely allosteric modulators of TrkB. In conclusion, the flavonoid-rich CRPR-E emerges as a promising candidate for the ES-mediated neuroprotective potential of CRPR as a medicated diet.

Although energy-demanding, the surface modification of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) for biomedical applications is mandatory to mitigate irreversible biofouling that occurs whenever PTFE comes into contact with biological fluids. Here, we propose to take advantage of the adhesive properties of dopamine (DA) and of the antifouling ability of various zwitterionic monomers (sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA), sulfobetaine methacrylamide (SBAA), sulfobetaine acrylamide (SBAA′), and 4-vinylpyridine propylsulfobetaine (4VPPS)) and form antifouling coatings by copolymerization on the surface of expanded PTFE membranes. This simple, low-energy, and one-step coating procedure arises in significant biofouling mitigation. All zwitterionic coatings led to important reduction of biofouling by red blood cell conentrate (88–94%), platelet conentrate (70–90%), whole blood (40–66%), or bacteria (83–96%). Also, it is shown that the interactions of polydopamine with ePTFE are stable even at high temperatures. However, the zwitterionic monomers are differently affected. While the performance of SBMA coatings decreased (as SBMA is prone to hydrolysis), those of SBAA, SBAA′, and 4VPPS coatings were generally maintained. All in all, this study illustrates that efficient and stable antifouling zwitterionic coatings can be generated onto PTFE membranes for biomedical applications, without the use of conventional high-energy-demanding surface modification processes.

This study investigates the relationships between the composition, cell wall microstructure, and mechanical properties of the abaca fiber. Raw abaca fibers have undergone a series of sequential chemical treatments (acetone/methanol, boiling water, EDTA, HCl, NaClO2, and NaOH) to selectively remove certain non-cellulosic components (NCCs) in the fiber, such as waxes, water-soluble fragments, pectin, and lignin in a step-by-step manner. Changes in composition, morphology, and mechanical properties were observed using FTIR spectroscopy and ion chromatography, digital microscope and SEM, and tensile tests, respectively. The raw fiber was composed of 23% NCCs, 18% hemicellulose, and 58% cellulose, and exhibited a 17.4 GPa Young’s modulus and a 444 MPa tensile strength. Furthermore, the raw abaca fibers demonstrated a linear tensile graph without yielding, and a planar fracture surface without fiber pull-outs, thus suggesting a highly elastic but brittle nature. At the end of the alkali treatment, the fibrillated fiber was 83% cellulose, yet the stiffness and strength dropped to 7.3 GPa and 55 MPa, respectively, as more components were removed, and microfibril relaxation and realignment have occurred. Load-bearing cellulose and hemicellulose accounted for 42% and 36% of the stiffness, respectively, due to –OH groups capable of hydrogen bonding. 63% of the strength was due to thenative NCC matrices, which contribute a significant role within the cell wall’s load-transfer activities.

Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is one of the materials widely used in the biomedical field, yet its application is being limited by adverse reactions such as thrombosis when it comes in contact with blood. Thus, a simple and robust way to modify ePTFE to be biologically inert is sought after. Modification of ePTFE without high-energy pretreatment, such as immersion coating, has been of interest to researchers for its straightforward process and ease in scaling up. In this study, we utilized a two-step immersion coating to zwitterionize ePTFE membranes. The first coating consists of the co-deposition of polyethylenimine (PEI) and polydopamine (PDA) to produce amine groups in the surface of the ePTFE for further functionalization. These amine groups from PEI will be coupled with the epoxide group of the zwitterionic copolymer, poly(GMA-co-SBMA) (PGS), via a ring-opening reaction in the second coating. The coated ePTFE membranes were physically and chemically characterized to ensure that each step of the coating is successful. The membranes were also tested for their thrombogenicity via quantification of the blood cells attached to it during contact with biological solutions. The coated membranes exhibited around 90% reduction in attachment with respect to the uncoated ePTFE for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureusand Escherichia coli). The coating was also able to resist blood cell attachment from human whole blood by 81.57% and resist red blood cell attachment from red blood cell concentrate by 93.4%. These ePTFE membranes, which are coated by a simple immersion coating, show significant enhancement of the biocompatibility of the membranes, which shows promise for future use in biological devices.

Cooking oil fumes (CF) coming from night market stalls exhaust contain substantial amounts of air pollutants such as carbonyl compounds that may contribute to outdoor air pollution and may have adverse health effects on the Taiwanese population. Carbonyl emission characteristics depend on several factors, which include but are not limited to, the cooking style and food material being used. The current study evaluated carbonyl compound emissions from two scenarios: a standard kitchen cooking classroom with a stack gas tunnel and night market food stalls. The different cooking styles and food types cooked using a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, such as grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), mixed barbecue with sauce (MBS), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), fried Taiwanese chicken nuggets (FN) in the kitchen cooking classroom, and grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), and fried steak (FS) in the night market were evaluated for carbonyl carbon emissions. OM from the kitchen classroom and GCS from the night market showed the highest mean total carbonyl compound concentrations (1850 ± 682 ppb and 1840 ppb). Formaldehyde was found to be the most predominant carbonyl compound, with contribution percentages ranging from 70.9–99.58% of the total carbonyl emission factors in CFs. Grilled vegetables with sauce had the highest emission factor magnitude of 274 µg kg−1wt. Factors such as the addition of sauce and grilling were also observed to increase carbonyl compound emissions. Corresponding health risks of carbonyl compounds in CFs for the night market vendors were also assessed. All values for cancer risk (R) were above the standard R value for workplace exposure, and HQ values were all greater than 1, suggesting a high risk for adverse health effects. Although our reported values were relatively high due to our sampling conditions, our study was first to be conducted in Taiwan and holds an important contribution to the global existing data of carbonyl compound emissions.

Research has been focused on the health hazards of ambient PM2.5related to humans. Many PM2.5toxicity assessments using in vitrostudies have focused on PM2.5-bounded hazardous pollutants. However, PM2.5toxicity assessment by in vivostudies allow for better observation of the overall effects of PM2.5exposure on entire organisms, making in vivoPM2.5toxicity assessment relevant. The toxic effects of outdoor PM2.5, collected from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) and Linluo Junior High School (LJHS), Pingtung, Taiwan, on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans(C. elegans) were investigated. PM2.5from NPUST and LJHS were found to be 4.5 and 2.5 µg Nm−3, respectively, which did not meet the standard. This levels of PM2.5in Taiwan. For acute toxicity, no significant PM2.5lethality on C. eleganswas observed between NPUST and LJHS. PM2.5from NPUST exhibited greater toxicity to lifespan (ageing), locomotion (head thrash), and reproduction (brood size) in the C. elegansanimal models than that from LJHS; therefore, adverse effects could be correlated with PM2.5concentrations. Prolonged exposure to PM2.5led to more severe toxicity in nematodes as compared to acute exposure. In conclusion, this study suggests that the long-term adverse effects of ambient PM2.5on environmental organisms should be carefully considered even when PM2.5is at low levels. C. elegansis a sensitive animal model for the evaluation of PM2.5ecotoxicity.

Poly(ethylene terephtalate) (PET)-based materials face general biofouling issues that we addressed by grafting a copolymer of glycidyl methacrylate and sulfobetaine methacrylate, poly(GMA-r-SBMA). The grafting procedure involved a dip-coating step followed by UV-exposure and led to successful grafting of the copolymer as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and zeta potential measurements. It did not modify the pore size nor the porosity of the PET membranes. In addition, their surface hydrophilicity was considerably improved, with a water contact angle falling to 30° in less than 20 s and 0° in less than 1 min. The effect of copolymer concentration in the coating bath (dip-coating procedure) and UV exposure time (UV step) were scrutinized during biofouling studies involving several bacteria such as Escherichia coliand Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, but also whole blood and HT1080 fibroblasts cells. The results indicate that if all conditions led to improved biofouling mitigation, due to the efficiency of the zwitterionic copolymer and grafting procedure, a higher concentration (15 mg/mL) and longer UV exposure time (at least 10 min) enhanced the grafting density which reflected on the biofouling results and permitted a better general biofouling control regardless of the nature of the biofoulant (bacteria, blood cells, fibroblasts).

Non-polybrominated diphenyl ether (non-PBDE) halogenated fire retardants (HFRs) such as new or novel brominated fire retardants (NBFRs) and dechlorane plus (DP) have been widely spread in the environment and recognized as emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the recent years, mainly due to the continuous increase in their global demand, especially after the worldwide restrictions on PBDE use. Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs) are the unintentional byproducts of PBDE commercial formulations in the indoor environment. Although HFRs, including NBFRs, DP, and PBDD/Fs, are ubiquitous in the indoor environment due to the large-volume release from the surfaces of consumer products, only a few in vitroand in vivostudies have addressed their toxic effects. In this review article, global data on NBFRs, including decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP), and 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB), DP, including syn-DP and anti-DP, and PBDD/Fs in indoor aerosol and dust are summarized from recent literature. Based on the gathered data, indoor dust is a major sink for indoor contamination and is of great concern due to the fact that dust ingestion is one of the primary routes for human exposure to these chemicals. Lastly, the toxic effects of NBFRs, DP, and PBDD/Fs identified in in vitroand in vivostudies are summarized and discussed based on the current published reports. However, there is still a lack of sufficient toxicity data for assessing their risks. Future works are encouraged to focus on indoor PM2.5-bound HFR levels to further evaluate their toxic effects on human health.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of the emerging persistent organic pollutants that have shown potential harmful effects in in-vivoand human studies. Our goal was to investigate 30 airborne PBDEs in day-to-night or indoor-to-outdoor in three vehicle dismantling factories located in southern Taiwan to assess worker risks. Thirty PBDEs including BDE-7, 15, 17, 28, 47, 49, 66, 71, 77, 85, 99, 100, 119, 126, 138, 139, 140, 153, 154, 156, 183, 184, 191, 196, 197, 203, 206, 207, 208, and 209 were analyzed using high-resolution-gas chromatography/high-resolution-mass-spectrometer. Levels of airborne Σ30PBDEs were 275, 336, 200 and 494 p gm–3in indoor daytime, indoor nighttime, outdoor daytime, and outdoor nighttime, respectively, and their differences were not significant. BDE-209 was the predominant congener among the 30 PBDEs consisting of 82.5–97.9% of Σ30PBDEs in both indoor and outdoor air. Pollution characterizations of the PBDE patterns were similar in air samples except for the outdoor air in the nighttime. Diurnal variations in PBDEs in both indoor and outdoor air were not observed. A principal component analysis was used to test for possible sources of PBDE contamination. BDE-209 in outdoor air was possibly contributed from PBDEs in indoor air, particularly from BDE-209. Characteristics of diurnal PBDE contamination in indoor and outdoor air in vehicle dismantling factories were linked to commercial technical OctaBDE (Bromkal 79-8DE) and DecaBDEs (Bromkal 82-0D and Saytex 102E) mixtures. The highest PBDE intakes of workers via inhalation were assessed as 41.8 and 32.7 pg kg–1bw day–1for male and female adults, respectively. It was hypothesized that airborne PBDEs in indoor factories are released from the surface of DecaBDE or OctaBDE technical formulations and influence outdoor air through ventilation or natural dispersion. However, occupational exposure through inhalation might be an important PBDE contamination pathway, but it is minor compared to PBDE dietary intake.