Objective: to analyze mortality and hospitalizations due to non-drug intoxication (NMx) in Brazil from 2009 to 2018. Methods: records of hospitalizations for “treatment of intoxication or poisoning by exposure to substances for non-drug use” from the Hospital Information System (SIH) were analyzed in a time series case study. Results: there were 125,570 hospitalizations due to NMx intoxication. The average incidence of hospitalizations was 6.28/100 thousand inhabitants, being higher in males (8.0/100 thousand inhabitants) compared to females (4.6/100 thousand inhabitants). The incidence of hospitalizations and the overall mortality of NMx hospitalizations decreased from 9.4 to 4.5 per 100 thousand inhabitants and from 2.5 to 1.6 per million inhabitants, respectively. Conclusions: there was a reduction in the incidence of hospitalizations and mortality from NMx intoxications during the analyzed decade.

Non-clinical toxicological studies work as a foundation in the process of developing new drugs, as they anticipate risks and, therefore, reduce the probability of a new drug interfering with cellular metabolism, harming the health of the individual, in addition to not fulfilling its pharmacological function in the body. Thus, considering the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants, this paper aims to describe the importance of toxicological tests and current aspects concerning the registration of herbal medicines in Brazil. In order to carry out this work, scientific databases were searched, such as: Periódicos CAPES and Scielo, and the database was complemented with articles from Brazilian legislation. There was no search restriction regarding the language and year of publication of the scientific materials, but rather regarding the relevance of their content for this article. Thus, it was observed that the regulatory role of ANVISA is essential to prevent ineffective, toxic and poor quality drugs from reaching the market and causing problems such as intoxication, interactions with other drugs, therapeutic damage, or even death. Thus, as it is a traditional health practice and has already been revealed in several studies as being of therapeutic utility by a significant portion of the population, it is interesting to discuss the current situation of herbal medicines and the seriousness that should be taken in their development, especially in light of the trials non-clinical toxicologicals as they can prevent public health problems in the short and long term.

The expansion of agricultural and livestock production in Brazil has led to the intensification of the use of pesticides, a worrying fact given the negative effects of these products on the environment and human health. Bahia is one of the main states that consumes pesticides and previous studies in the Bahia municipality of Crisópolis-BA have shown a wide use of these products by the population. Considering the harmful potential of pesticides, it is evident the importance of investigations regarding their commercialization for the identification of possible problems and planning of corrective actions.. In this context, the present research aimed to investigate variables related to the commercialization of pesticides in the municipality of Crisópolis-BA in the year 2021. Thus, information was collected from the establishments that sell pesticides in the municipality through observations and application of questionnaires to the owners and employees of the establishments. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results Showed a greater trend in sales for products with the active ingredient 2,4-D + picloram. These data a great demand and handling of these products by the population, which is a cause for concern considering their toxicological potential (toxicological class I). In addition, there was a preponderant lack of knowledge on the part of sellers about the safe use of pesticides. This is a worrisome fact, since the absence of information about its correct handling implies a greater risk of exposure, which may contribute to the intoxication of rural workers by these products.

The genus Croton, belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family, is a plant with shrubby characteristics, with the ability to regrow in times of rain, develops wildly, especially in deforestation areas, being reported mainly in the Caatinga and Forest region. One of the main characteristics of this genus is that several species are rich in chemical constituents of importance for medicine. In this way, this review of the literature, has an objective that findings regarding the biological activities and chemical composition of Croton species. This study is a literature review, carried out in the following databases: SciELO, BVS, MEDLINE, LILACS, PubMed and ScienceDirect, with a time frame between 1997 and 2020. The articles studied have shown different activities for Croton species, such as anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antifungal, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antinociceptive and anti-tumor. Regarding toxicological aspects, the findings suggest caution in the use of Croton species, as some are toxic. While, regarding the chemical composition, in most species the presence of several secondary metabolites is observed, such as alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. Therefore, the results described in this article suggest that the therapeutic application of Croton species is supported by the literature, however we point out that caution is required in the use of Croton species, some present due to toxicity.

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between chronic exposure to pesticides and the development of hematological cancers in a region with intense agricultural activity. This is a hospital-based case-control study. Socioeconomic, demographic, occupational and health-related aspects of patients were investigated. The univariate odds ratio (OR) of cases was verified using logistic regression analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the relevant variables in the model were maintained (p = 0.05). There was a predominance of males in the case (54.0%) and control (53.0%) groups. The mean age was 58.8 ± 14.5 years in the case group and 55.6 ± 12.9 years in the control group. It was found that 38.7% of the cases were farmers, and that contact for more than five years with pesticides increases the chances of developing hematological cancers by 2.19 times (OR = 2.19; 95% CI 1, 19 - 4.06). It was also found that the higher the family income, the lower the chances of these neoplasms to appear (OR = 0.26; 95% CI 0.11 - 0.65). In addition, patients who did not have a family history of cancer were 96% less likely (OR = 0.04; 95% CI 0.02 - 0.08) to develop the disease. Chronic exposure to pesticides, family history of cancer and socioeconomic status are associated with greater chances of developing hematological neoplasms. Rural workers exposed to these substances for periods of more than five years are more vulnerable.

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is one of the most important analytical techniques used in the determination of non-volatile or thermally unstable compounds. The combination of both unites the excellence of the separation of the analyte of interest in the matrix through the high performance liquid chromatography technique, together with the mass spectrometry technique that confirms the chemical identification. Among the available alternatives, mass spectrometry is the one that best provides the necessary structural information. The coupling between these two techniques gives rise to a robust, versatile and great potential analytical tool in the qualitative and quantitative analysis in food toxicology. This article presents a literature review that aims to present the fundamentals of the application of the coupling of Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry in the area of food analysis.

Objectives: To analyze existing scientific evidence that describes the genotoxic, mutagenic or cytotoxic effects associated with those collected in the Doce river basin, after the dam burst. And to analyze a cancer mortality rate (CM) among a population of Mariana, Governador Valadares (GV) and Ipatinga, in Minas Gerais, and Colatina and Linhares, in Espirito Santo, cities related to the Doce river. Methods: Five databases were used: PubMed, SciELO, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar, the descriptors: “Dam”, “Fundao”, “Mariana”, “genotoxic” and boolean operator “AND”, study studies that described the toxic effects of collected in the Doce river. In addition, CM data were collected from INCA's “On-Line Mortality Atlas”, for the periods 2013-2015 and 2016-2018, reported in the cities studied. Results: Four studies were selected on the genotoxic effects. The rates of CM employees per 100,000 inhabitants in the cities mentioned and defined above, there were increases in GV, Ipatinga, Colatina and Linhares, but reduction in Mariana. Conclusion: It is suggested that the analyzed ones have genotoxic potential associated with the generation by mining tailings. It was observed that in cities supplied hydric by the Doce river, or in relation to fishing, a CM increased after the collapse, suggesting a relationship between cancer mortality and water supply from the Doce river. However, studies are more studies to confirm this relationship.

Passive and chronic exposure to tobacco smoke is a major cause of preventable diseases in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological and biochemical effects of functional foods: probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics in young rats exposed chronically to cigarette smoke. Ninety-six young male rats were randomly assigned to eight groups (n = 12): control (C); probiotic (Pro); prebiotic (Pre); symbiotic (Sym); smoking control (CS); smoking probiotic (ProbS); smoking prebiotic (PrebS); and smoking symbiotic (SymbS). After the experimental period of 189 days, the animals were anesthetized, blood samples were collected, and the animals were euthanized by exsanguination. The data were submitted to the Shapiro Wilk test, followed by the one-way ANOVA test, with contrasts by the Tukey method (P<0.05). The results demonstrated that chronic passive exposure to cigarette smoke had deleterious effects on the animals, and that these effects were attenuated in groups of animals supplemented with functional foods. In the supplemented groups there were significant improvements in weight gain, and mean values of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP), serum proteins (albumin and globulins), blood glucose, uremia, and creatininemia. We conclude that functional foods, probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics, attenuate the deleterious effects on the physiological and biochemical parameters of rats chronically exposed to cigarette smoke.

Honeybees are the insect most used for pollination purposes due to its efficient characteristics for this function, which reflects in positive aspects for both nature and man. The expansion of agriculture and the development of agrochemicals to combat pests has had negative impacts on honeybee health, causing its disappearance around the world. This research aimed to evaluate the effects of honeybee exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam on its survival rate, as well as on morphological and histological changes in the midgut of adult workers from the F4 generation of Apis mellifera queens tolerant to thiamethoxam and non-tolerant worker honeybees. After the bioassays, the midgut was removed for morphological evaluation. The results showed that F4 bees were more tolerance to thiamethoxam and exhibited less significant morphological changes when compared to the non-tolerant control group.

The objective was to conduct a literature review on the biological and pharmacological activities of Rhaphiodon echinus. This is an integrative review guided by the following question: What is the scientific evidence about the biological and pharmacological activity of R. echinus? The databases MEDLINE, PUBMED, BDENF, SCOPUS and WoS were chosen for the search. A population of 54 studies was identified whose sample was characterized by nine articles. It is suspected that the essential oil and the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of R. echinus have chemical compounds of relevance in phytochemical and pharmacological tests, showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, besides antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by potentiating the action of drugs such as gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, as well as antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Furthermore, the phytotherapeutic activity of R. echinus in teas, syrups and baths is observed against uterine inflammation, influenza, intestinal colic and urinary tract infection. In summary, it is emphasized that new studies involving R. echinus are needed in the area of ethnobotany in order to better understand its use and interfaces with popular knowledge with a view to its use in clinical practice.