Understanding the Mechanisms of Action and Effects of Drugs of Abuse.

Aim: Drug abuse and addiction are major public health concerns, with millions of people worldwide affected by the negative consequences of drug use. To better understand this complex issue, a review was conducted to examine the mechanisms of action and effects of drugs of abuse, including their acute and chronic effects, the symptoms of abstinence syndrome, as well as their cardiovascular impacts.

Methods: The analyzed data were obtained after surveying an electronic database, namely PubMed, with no time limit, grey literature sources, and reference lists of relevant articles.

Determination of Phosphodiesterase Type-5 Inhibitors (PDE-5) in Dietary Supplements.

This study proposed a high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) screening method to detect phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors as possible adulterant agents in various dietary supplements. Chromatographic analysis was performed on silica gel 60F254 plates using a mixture of ethyl acetate:toluene:methanol:ammonia in a volume ratio of 50:30:20:0.5 as a mobile phase.

GC-MS Analysis of Methadone and EDDP in Addicted Patients under Methadone Substitution Treatment: Comparison of Urine and Plasma as Biological Samples.

(1) Background: Methadone, along with buprenorphine, is the most commonly used drug for the treatment of opioid dependence. This study aimed to analyze methadone and its major metabolite, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenyl pyrrolidine (EDDP), in the urine and plasma of opiate addicts. The study group consisted of drug users voluntarily admitted to the detoxification center C.

Preclinical and clinical results regarding the effects of a plant-based antidiabetic formulation versus well established antidiabetic molecules.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex syndrome with debilitating long-term complications, comprising alterations of carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolisms, along increased oxidative stress and chronic low-grade inflammation. Diet management and plant-based formulations can improve the metabolic status of patients, being used as adjuvants of classic antidiabetic therapy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of a plant-based antidiabetic formulation (PBAF), containing Vaccinium myrtillus, Ribes nigrum, Rosa canina and Capsicum annuum, on the increased oxidative burden found in diabetes mellitus, comparing it with the effects of metformin and gliclazide.

Toxicity of plant extracts containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids using alternative invertebrate models.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a widespread class of hepatotoxic heterocyclic organic compounds found in approximately 3% of world flora. Some PAs have been shown to have genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. The present study focuses on the toxicity effects of four dry extracts obtained from medicinal plants (Senecio vernalis, Symphytum officinale, Petasites hybridus and Tussilago farfara), on two aquatic organisms, Artemia salina and Daphnia magna, and the correlation with their PAs content.

Oral toxicity study of certain plant extracts containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a class of toxic compounds which are found in plants. Poisoning caused by these toxins is associated with acute and chronic liver damage. Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot), Petasites hybridus (common butterbur), Senecio vernalis (eastern groundsel) and Symphytum officinale (comfrey) are traditional phytotherapic species, which beside the therapeutic bioactive compounds contain PAs.

Comparative evaluation of short-term toxicity of inorganic arsenic compounds on Artemia salina.

The study aimed to assess the short-term effects exerted by two inorganic arsenic species (arsenite and arsenate) on Artemia salina after 24, 48 and 72 h. The dose-lethality curves obtained indicate that the lethality induced by arsenite was higher than by arsenate. The lowest observed effect concentration for arsenite (0.

Assessment of the potential health benefits of certain total extracts from and .

A number of recent studies have illustrated the active role of food/natural components in the prevention of chronic diseases and in the improvement of the quality of life. In the present study, we aimed to obtain and characterize certain extracts from L., L.

[Semi-quantitative determination of methadone by TLC].

Unlabelled: Methadone is the main therapeutic option in heroin addiction treatment, but also an abuse substance. Given the analytical focus on the diagnosis of drug abuse and the usefulness of toxicological analysis methods in both overdose and monitoring substitution therapy, this study was aimed at the semi-quantitative determination of methadone by using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). By having the advantage of simplicity and rapidity, TLC finds its rightful place among the analysis methods when other relatively costly methods that involve instrumental performance are not available.