Bowman-Birk inhibitors (BBIs) are found primarily in seeds of legumes and in cereal grains. These canonical inhibitors share a highly conserved nine-amino acids binding loop motif CTP1SXPPXC (where P1 is the inhibitory active site, while X stands for various amino acids). They are natural controllers of plants’ endogenous proteases, but they are also inhibitors of exogenous proteases present in microbials and insects. They are considered as plants’ protective agents, as their elevated levels are observed during injury, presence of pathogens, or abiotic stress, i.a. Similar properties are observed for peptides isolated from amphibians’ skin containing 11-amino acids disulfide-bridged loop CWTP1SXPPXPC. They are classified as Bowman-Birk like trypsin inhibitors (BBLTIs). These inhibitors are resistant to proteolysis and not toxic, and they are reported to be beneficial in the treatment of various pathological states. In this review, we summarize up-to-date research results regarding BBIs’ and BBLTIs’ inhibitory activity, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity, antimicrobial and insecticidal strength, as well as chemopreventive properties.
Crystalline silica is a health hazard commonly encountered in work environment. Occupational exposure to crystalline silica dust concerns workers employed in such industries as mineral, fuel-energy, metal, chemical and construction industry. It is estimated that over 2 million workers in the European Union are exposed to crystalline silica. In Poland, over 50 thousand people work under conditions of silica dust exposure exceeding the occupational exposure limit. The assessment of occupational exposure to crystalline silica is a multi-phase process, primarily dependent on workplace measurements, quantitative analyses of samples, and comparison of results with respective standards. The present article summarizes the approaches to and methods used for assessment of exposure to crystalline silica as adopted in different countries in the EU and worldwide. It also compares the occupational limit values in force in almost 40 countries. Further, it points out the consequences resulting from the fact that IARC has regarded the two most common forms of crystalline silica: quartz and cristobalite as human carcinogens. The article includes an inter-country review of the methods used for air sample collection, dust concentration measurements, and determination of crystalline silica. The selection was based on the GESTIS database which lists the methods approved by the European Union for the measurements and tests regarding hazardous agents. Special attention has been paid to the methods of determining crystalline silica. The author attempts to analyze the infl uence of analytical techniques, sample preparation and the reference materials on determination results. Also the operating parameters of the method, including limit of detection, limit of quantifi cation, and precision, have been compared.
Crystalline silica is commonly found in the work environment. Possible health effects of occupational exposure continue to be the subject of extensive research. The aim of this paper was to analyze the recent findings concerning the health effects of exposure to crystalline silica, taking into account different levels of exposure. This work is based on the relevant information from the papers retrieved from the following databases: EBSCO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science, using the following keywords: crystalline silica, quartz, health effects. The review of the results confirms the multi-faceted harmful effects of crystalline silica. Prolonged occupational exposure, apart from silicosis and non-cancer respiratory diseases, may also result in the development of lung cancer, and autoimmune and chronic kidney diseases, the pathogenesis, which has not been completely explained yet. The exposure to the crystalline silica at concentrations close to the current occupational exposure limit value does not exclude the risk of the following pathologies: silicosis, lung cancer, other lung diseases and renal diseases. It is not feasible to completely eliminate the crystalline silica dust from the work environment. The best way to reduce the health effects of the exposure is to minimize the concentrations of silica dust. Further progress in clarifying the true mechanisms of interaction between silica dust and lung cells, the determination of the importance of surface properties of the silica particles in the pathogenic processes and explaining the effects of co-morbid dust in the work environment may help to prevent the harmful effects of silica dust. Med Pr 2014;65(6):799-818Key words: crystalline silica, quartz, silicosis, health effects, lung cancer, occupational exposure StreszczenieKrystaliczna krzemionka powszechnie występuje w środowisku pracy. Możliwe zdrowotne skutki zawodowego narażenia są nadal przedmiotem wielu badań. Celem niniejszej pracy była analiza aktualnych wyników badań dotyczących zdrowotnych skutków narażenia na krystaliczną krzemionkę, z uwzględnieniem różnych poziomów ekspozycji. Podstawę opracowania stanowiły publikacje zawarte w bazach: EBSCO, Scopus, ScienceDirect oraz Web of Science, znalezione z użyciem słów kluczowych: crystalline silica, quartz, health effects. Przegląd wyników badań potwierdza wielokierunkowe szkodliwe działanie krystalicznej krzemionki. W następstwie długotrwałej zawodowej ekspozycji, oprócz krzemicy płuc i nienowotworowych chorób układu oddechowego, może rozwijać się rak płuca, a także choroby o niewyjaśnionej ostatecznie patogenezie -choroby autoimmunizacyjne i choroby nerek. Ekspozycja na krystaliczną krzemionkę występującą w zakresie stężeń zbliżonych do obecnie obowiązujących wartości dopuszczalnych nie wyklucza ryzyka wystąpienia następujących patologii: krzemicy, raka płuca, innych chorób płuc oraz chorób nerek. Wyeliminowanie pyłu krystalicznej krzemionki ze środowiska pracy jest praktycznie niemożliwe, a głównym sposobem ograniczania zdrowotnych skut...
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