Lung cancer is a heterogeneous group of diseases with multifactorial aetiology. Smoking has been undeniably recognized as the main aetiological factor in lung cancer, but it should be emphasized that it is not the only factor. It is worth noting that a number of nonsmokers also develop this disease. Radon exposure is the second greatest risk factor for lung cancer among smokers—after smoking—and the first one for nonsmokers. The knowledge about this element amongst specialist oncologists and pulmonologists seems to be very superficial. We discuss the impact of radon on human health, with particular emphasis on respiratory diseases, including lung cancer. A better understanding of the problem will increase the chance of reducing the impact of radon exposure on public health and may contribute to more effective prevention of a number of lung diseases.

Atmospheric pollution suspended in humid air is popularly known as 'smog'. It is composed of dust particles of different sizes, as well as non-metal oxides, organic compounds, and heavy metals. Exposure to harmful substances suspended in the air - apart from, for example - smoking cigarettes, one of the modifiable factors leading to the development of respiratory diseases. There are six types of substances present in the air that have a negative impact on public health and result in significant consequences: ozone, particulate matter (PM) of different diameters - PM2.5µ, PM2.5‒10 µ, PM10 µ, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead. Particular attention is given to small dust particles (PM10 and PM2.5) because they can penetrate into the lower respiratory tract. Apart from describing the composition of smog and sources of air pollution, the article also discusses the impact of atmospheric pollutants on both development and aggravation of the symptoms of such respiratory tract diseases as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections and lung cancer. Some of legal measures applied in different countries aimed at reducing exposure to noxious air pollutants are reviewed. The authors believe that the increased focus on risks arising from inhaling toxic air pollution may be a first step for developing systemic solutions aimed at resolving or, at least, decreasing those risks.

Skin aging is a natural, unavoidable, and complex process caused by oxidative stress. As a consequence, it leads to an increase in the activation of extracellular matrix disruption enzymes and DNA damage. The search for natural sources that inhibit these mechanisms can be a good approach to prevent skin aging. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the composition of flavonoids and phenolic acids in the extracts obtained from the flowers, roots, and leaves of Eutrema japonicum cultivated in Poland. Then, the resultant extracts were subjected to an assessment of antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-hyaluronidase, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties. It was demonstrated that the extract from the flowers had the highest content of flavonoid glycosides (17.15 mg/g DE). This extract showed the greatest antioxidant, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, and anti-hyaluronidase activities compared to the other samples. Importantly, the collagenase inhibitory activity of this extract (93.34% ± 0.77%) was better than that of positive control epigallocatechin gallate (88.49% ± 0.45%). An undeniable advantage of this extract was also to possess moderate antibacterial properties and no cytotoxicity towards normal human skin fibroblasts. Our results suggest that extracts from E. japonicum flowers may be considered as a promising antiaging compound for applications in cosmetic formulations.

The leaves of Pyrola rotundifolia L. were extracted in the mixed solvent of methanol/acetone/water (2:2:1, v/v/v) and investigated for their phytochemical analysis and biological activity. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined spectrophotometrically. A high content of phenols (208.35 mg GAE/g of dry extract), flavonoids (38.90 mg QE/g of dry extract) and gallotannins (722.91 GAE/g of dry extract) was obtained. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography diode array detector tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–DAD–MS) allowed for the detection of 23 major peaks at 254 nm. The extract was analyzed for its antioxidant capacity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH^•) and 2,2′-azinobis[3-ethylbenzthiazoline]-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS^•+) radical scavenging, metal chelating power and β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching assays. The examined extract showed moderate radical scavenging and chelating activity, and good inhibiting ability of linoleic acid oxidation (EC₅₀ = 0.05 mg/mL) in comparison to standards. The cytotoxic effect in increasing concentration on five types of leukemic cell lines was also investigated using trypan blue vital staining. It was found that the analyzed extract induced the apoptosis of all the tested cell lines. Our findings suggest that the leaves of P. rotundifolia are a source of valuable compounds providing protection against oxidative damage, hence their use in traditional medicine is justified.

Pulmonary localisation represents only 15% of all cases of actinomycosis. The clinical symptoms and radiological changes of this disease are non-specific and sometimes it can be misdiagnosed, usually as tuberculosis, lung cancer or lung abscess. In the reported case, what might look like the lung...

Liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS/MS) qualitative and quantitative analysis of different extracts from the aerial parts and roots of Alchemilla acutiloba led to the identification of phenolic acids and flavonoids. To the best of our knowledge, isorhamnetin 3-glucoside, kaempferol 3-rutinoside, narcissoside, naringenin 7-glucoside, 3-O-methylquercetin, naringenin, eriodictyol, rhamnetin, and isorhamnetin were described for the first time in Alchemilla genus. In addition, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of all extracts were evaluated. The results clearly showed that among analyzed extracts, the butanol extract of the aerial parts exhibited the highest biological activity comparable with the positive controls used.