Artemisinin is an extract from the plant Artemisia annua. With its semi-synthetic derivatives, they form a group of well-known and efficacious antimalarial drugs. Recent studies have documented the potential anticancer effect of artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs). This review summarizes results of preclinical studies, documenting mechanisms of anticancer actions of ARTs and clinical studies focused mainly on efficacy, safety and dose-ranging of ARTs as anticancer chemotherapeutics. The main mechanisms of action of ARTs is the production of reactive oxygen species, inhibition of cell cycle in G₀/G₁ phase, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. Safety studies have shown no evident toxicity and low incidence of adverse effects. ARTs potential to inhibit growth of solid tumours suggests their application in a neoadjuvant therapy. Dihydroartemisinin and artesunate exhibit chemosensitising effects in vivo in breast, lung, pancreas and glioma cancer cells, proposing the use of ARTs also in combination anticancer therapy.

Preventing relapse to drug abuse is one of the struggles faced by clinicians in order to treat patients with substance use disorders (DSM-5). There is a large body of clinical evidence suggesting differential characteristics of the disorder in men and women which is in line with preclinical findings as well. The aim of this study was to assess differences in relapse-like behavior in methamphetamine (METH) seeking after a period of forced abstinence which simulates the real clinical situation very well. Findings from such study might add new insights in gender differences in relapse mechanisms to previous studies, which employ a classical drug or cue-induced reinstatement procedure following the extinction training. Adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in IV self-administration procedure conducted in operant boxes using nose-poke operandi (Coulborn Instruments, USA). Active nose-poke resulted in activation of the infusion pump to deliver one intravenous infusion of METH (0.08 mg/kg). After baseline drug intake was established (maintenance phase), a period of forced abstinence was initiated and rats were kept singly in their home-cages for 14 days. Finally, one reinstatement session in operant boxes was conducted. Females were found to self-administer significantly lower dose of METH. The relapse rate was assessed as a number of active nose-pokes during the reinstatement session, expressed as a percentage of active nose-poking during the maintenance phase. Females displayed approximately 300 % of active nose-pokes compared to 48 % in males. This indicates higher vulnerability to relapse of METH seeking behavior in female rats. This effect was detected in all females, independently of current phase of their estrous cycle. Therefore, this paradigm using operant drug self-administration and reinstatement of drug-seeking after forced abstinence model can be used for preclinical screening for potential new anti-relapse medications specific for women.

The toxicity of food additives is widely studied and concerns many consumers worldwide. Synthetic food colors are often considered an unnecessary risk to consumer health. Since the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) re-evaluation between 2009 and 2014, the body of scientific literature on food colors has grown, and new evaluations are being published by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Therefore, this narrative review aims to review the toxicological data that have become available since 2014. The reviewed colors are Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow, Azorubine, Amaranth, Ponceau 4R, Erythrosine, Allura Red, Patent Blue, Indigo Carmine, Brilliant Blue FCF, Green S, Brilliant Black, Brown HT, and Lithol Rubine BK. Tartrazine was not included in this paper; the overwhelming amount of recent data on Tartrazine toxicity requires more space than this review can provide. The issues regarding the toxicity of synthetic food colors and real population exposures are being regularly examined and reviewed by relevant authorities, such as the EFSA and JECFA. The current ADI limits set by the authorities are mostly in agreement, and they seem safe. However, the EFSA and JECFA assessments of some of the colors are more than a decade old, and new evidence will soon be required.