Background/Objectives: Microplastics (MPs) are emerging environmental contaminants with potential implications for human health. Experimental studies suggest that MPs accumulate in the liver and promote inflammatory and fibrotic changes, but evidence from human tissues remains limited. This study investigated the presence of suspected MP-like particles in post-mortem human liver tissue and their associations with clinical, biochemical, hematological and histopathological parameters. Methods: Post-mortem liver tissue samples were collected from 55 adults. Suspected MP-like particles were extracted using hydrogen peroxide digestion, filtration, Nile Red staining and image-based quantification. Histopathological evaluation assessed inflammation, fibrosis, necrosis and fatty liver degeneration. Polarized light microscopy was used as a supportive morphological assessment method. Statistical analyses included Mann–Whitney U tests, Fisher’s exact tests and Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Detectable hepatic suspected MP-like particles were identified in 9 of 55 individuals (16.4%). Individuals with detectable suspected MP-like particles had significantly lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and leukocyte counts. The hepatic suspected MP-like particle burden showed weak positive correlation with liver fibrosis and inflammation and weak inverse correlation with ALT levels and leukocyte count. Fisher’s exact test showed that liver fibrosis and liver inflammation were significantly associated with detectable hepatic suspected MP-like particles, with higher unadjusted odds observed in the corresponding 2 × 2 contingency tables. No statistically significant associations were found for liver necrosis or fatty liver degeneration. Conclusions: Detectable suspected MP-like particles were identified in post-mortem human liver tissues and were more closely associated with fibrotic and inflammatory histopathological changes than with routine biochemical abnormalities. Larger studies using standardized detection methods are needed to confirm these results.

Background: In metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), systemic inflammation and routine laboratory parameters may reflect host–tumor interactions and provide additional prognostic information. This study evaluated the association between baseline clinicopathological and laboratory parameters, including the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), and overall survival (OS) in patients with stage IV colorectal adenocarcinoma. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 92 patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma and treated at a single oncology center between February 2022 and December 2024. Baseline laboratory parameters were collected at diagnosis. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier estimates with log-rank testing. Prognostic associations were evaluated using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for relevant clinical and treatment-related factors. Results: The cohort was predominantly male (62%) and younger than 70 years (66%), with 80 deaths recorded during follow-up. In univariable analyses, primary tumor resection, irinotecan-based first-line therapy, elevated AST, and dNLR tertiles were associated with OS. However, after multivariable adjustment, only irinotecan-based first-line therapy remained independently associated with poorer survival (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.16–3.81; p = 0.022). Continuous dNLR, anemia (WHO sex-specific), and AST elevation did not retain independent prognostic significance. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with mCRC, inflammation-related laboratory markers demonstrated associations with survival in unadjusted analyses but did not remain independent predictors after adjustment for clinical and treatment-related confounders. These findings highlight the importance of rigorous multivariable modeling when evaluating inflammatory biomarkers in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background/Objectives: Chronic low-grade inflammation and lipid metabolism play an important role in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The ratio of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (hs-CRP/HDL-C) integrates these pathways and it has been proposed as a novel biomarker of metabolic risk. However, evidence regarding its association with obesity and T2DM remains limited. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included data from 413 adults, comprising 251 individuals with T2DM and 162 individuals without T2DM. Obesity status was assessed separately according to BMI categories. The hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio was divided into quartiles, with the lowest quartile used as the reference category. Its associations with obesity and T2DM were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analysis. Subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate the consistency of these associations across different population subgroups. Results: A significantly positive association was noted between the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio and the presence of T2DM. Compared with individuals in the lowest quartile, those in the higher quartiles of the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio had significantly higher odds of T2DM. In the fully adjusted model, each unit increase in the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio was associated with higher odds of T2DM (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.14–2.20, p = 0.006), whereas the association with obesity was attenuated and lost statistical significance after full adjustment. RCS analysis confirmed a significant overall association between the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio and T2DM risk (p-overall = 0.034). Although the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio was associated with obesity in the crude model (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.05–1.70, p = 0.019), the association was not significant after adjustment (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.90–1.56, p = 0.229). Conclusions: In our study, an elevated hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio was significantly associated with the presence of T2DM and may represent a marker associated with metabolic inflammation, particularly in individuals with glycometabolic disorders.

Background/Objectives: Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures extracted from plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, as well as in vivo toxicity against Drosophila melanogaster of the EOs extracted from Achillea millefolium L. (AM), Mentha longifolia L. (ML), and Thymus serpyllum L. (TS) from the mountains in Sibiu County, Romania. Methods: EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation. Their phytocompounds were determined by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry. Antioxidant potential was evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis [3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid]-diammonium salt (ABTS), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Antibacterial action was measured against eight pathogenic bacteria. An in vivo D. melanogaster diet-dependent viability assay was conducted to assess the toxicity of the EOs. Results: Chamazulene (49.72%), pulegone (36.20%), and thymol (42.11%) were the most abundant constituents of the AM, ML, and TS EOs, respectively. All tested EOs exerted antioxidant activity, with TS EO being the most efficient in the DPPH (98.19% inhibition) and ABTS (1.82 mmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/mL EO) scavenging assays, while AM EO performed best in the FRAP assay (66.70 μmol TE/mL EO). Against TS EO, Bacillus subtilis was the most sensitive, with an inhibition zone of 37 mm. A dose-dependent decrease in the viability of D. melanogaster L. was observed when their diet was supplemented with AM, ML, and TS EOs. Conclusions: The analyzed EOs demonstrated antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, suggesting their potential applications in various fields. However, due to their toxicity, an in-depth analysis is required before introducing such products in therapy.

Background Evidence regarding suspected microplastic (MP)-like particles in human intestinal specimens remains limited. This study evaluated their occurrence and anatomical distribution in paired small and large intestinal specimens. Methodology This exploratory post-mortem study included 55 adults examined between March 2022 and December 2025. Intestinal specimens were processed using hydrogen peroxide digestion, glass-fiber filtration, Nile Red staining, fluorescence imaging, and ImageJ-based quantification. These screening methods did not provide polymer-specific identification. Histopathological changes were assessed, and clinical and laboratory data were extracted from medical records. Results Suspected MP-like particles were recovered from at least one intestinal specimen in 28 (50.9%) individuals. Detection was numerically more frequent in the large than in small intestinal specimens (38.2% vs. 21.8%), although the paired difference was not statistically significant. Urban residence was less frequent among individuals with screening-positive specimens (p = 0.026). No significant associations were identified for the other clinical and laboratory variables. In exploratory unadjusted analyses, screening positivity co-occurred more frequently with histological inflammation. However, small contingency tables, clinical heterogeneity, and potential confounding preclude causal interpretation. Necrosis was uncommon, and fibrosis was absent. Conclusions Suspected MP-like particles were recovered using a non-polymer-specific screening workflow. Their co-occurrence with non-specific inflammation is hypothesis-generating and requires confirmation using polymer-specific methods and rigorous contamination controls.

Eupatorium cannabinum L. (Asteraceae) is a medicinal plant with incompletely characterized phytochemical and biological properties. This study optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolic compounds from its aerial parts, using total phenolic content (TPC) as the only response, and evaluated the extract in exploratory in vitro assays. A D-optimal design assessed the effects of extraction time, ultrasound amplitude, and ethanol concentration. The regression model showed good fit and predictive ability (R² = 0.979, Q² = 0.798), and ethanol concentration was the dominant factor. The optimum (30% ethanol, 20 min, 40% amplitude) was confirmed experimentally, yielding 31.32 ± 0.58 mg GAE/g dried plant in the liquid extract. The lyophilized optimized extract (OpEU), analyzed separately, contained 64.64 ± 2.64 mg GAE/g dry extract; because the two values are expressed on different mass bases (dried plant vs. dry extract), they are not directly comparable. Luteolin-7-O-glucoside and ellagic acid were the main targeted phenolics in OpEU (UHPLC-PDA). OpEU scavenged DPPH and ABTS radicals (IC₅₀ of 5.59 and 0.83 mg dry extract/mL) and weakly inhibited α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase (IC₅₀ of 3.031, 3.553, and 2.665 mg dry extract/mL). It inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae only at the highest concentration tested (5.09 mg/mL), but not Enterococcus faecalis or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and it was not bactericidal. These preliminary results do not support health-related applications, which would require pyrrolizidine alkaloid and toxicological evaluation.