Cancer is a complex group of diseases initiated by abnormal cell division with the potential of spreading to other parts of the body. The advancement in the discoveries of omics and bio- and cheminformatics has led to the identification of drugs inhibiting putative targets including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family receptors, fibroblast growth factors (FGF), platelet derived growth factors (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and neuropeptide Y4 (NY4), amongst others. Drug resistance, systemic toxicity, and drug ineffectiveness for various cancer chemo-treatments are widespread. Due to this, efficient therapeutic agents targeting two or more of the putative targets in different cancer cells are proposed as cutting edge treatments. Heterocyclic compounds, both synthetic and natural products, have, however, contributed immensely to chemotherapeutics for treatments of various diseases, but little is known about such compounds and their multimodal anticancer properties. A compendium of heterocyclic synthetic and natural product multitarget anticancer compounds, their IC50, and biological targets of inhibition are therefore presented in this review.

Relatively inexpensive biosorbents, made from coconut shell, were explored as alternatives to high-quality activated carbon for use in small-scale, wastewater treatment in developing economies. Simple charring and activation procedures were followed to produce CaCl2-activated coconut shell charcoal and its effectiveness was compared with raw coconut shell powder for removal of mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) from contaminated water. From atomic absorption spectroscopy analyses, the removal efficiency of As and Hg with the use of activated charcoal were 67% (vs 65% for the raw form), and 53% (vs 49% for the raw form), respectively, from their corresponding “artificially”-contaminated wastewater. These results suggest that despite the slightly improved removal efficiencies recorded for activated coconut shells, the raw version could equally be used in treating wastewater towards the removal of the toxic metals- As and Hg. In order to understand the chemistry of the adsorption processes, FT-IR spectroscopy was employed to study similarities and differences in chemical compositions of the raw versus activated coconut shells before and after the biofiltration processes. To further investigate the effect of this biofiltration process on the overall quality of water, the physicochemical parameters (pH, conductivity, colour, turbidity, TDS and TSS) were measured on river water samples, pre-treated with the biosorbents. For both the raw and activated coconut shell, there was general improvement, although the conductivity of the water treated with the activated version was slightly elevated, was likely due to leaching of CaCl2 that was used for activation.

The study aimed to ascertain the levels of trace elements present in the face powders marketed in Ghana. Fifteen different brands of facial makeup powders were purchased from a local market in Ghana. The samples were analyzed using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to determine the concentrations of 16 elements (Pb, As, Hg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ti, Cu, Ni, Co, Sb, Cd, Ag, Sn, and Au). The contents of the trace elements were ordered in the following descending order according to the maximum concentrations: Fe > Zn > Ti > Mn > Cr > Hg > As > Pb > Cu, Ni, Co, Sb, Cd, Ag, Sn, and Au. Pearson correlation statistics showed strong positive relationships between Pb and Zn (r = 0.71), Pb and Cr (r = 0.57), Hg and Zn (r = 0.63), Hg and Fe (r = 0.73), Hg and Cr (r = 0.61), Zn and Fe (r = 0.69), Zn and Cr (r = 0.88), Fe and Cr (r = 0.67), and Fe and Ti (r = 0.62). Except for Pb and Cr, all the other elements had their margin of safety (MOS) values less than 100. The hazard indices (HIs) for Pb, Mn, Cr, and Ti were less than 1, indicating no risk. However, the HIs for As, Hg, Zn, and Fe were more than 1, indicating a potential risk of usage in adults. As a result, using face powders could put users at risk of exposure to trace elements. Dermal exposure to trace elements from cosmetics resulted in a lifetime cancer risk (LCR) that was higher than what was considered tolerable (LCR >10−6) due to the presence of Pb, As, and Cr. Mercury was identified as a potential skin sensitizer in the cosmetic samples examined by an exposure-based sensitization quantitative risk assessment (SQRA).

Heavy metal persistence in the environment is a global threat and researchers continue to explore low-cost effective technologies for removing these contaminants from the environment. In this study, the ability of Caladium bicolor (biosorbent) to remove lead, zinc, copper and mercury ions from the contaminated water was explored. At 2 ppm metal ion concentration, the biosorbent was able to remove all four metal ions with a low removal efficiency of 79.5% for Hg2+ and a high of 99.5% for Pb2+. The effectiveness of the biosorbent, however, decreased when the metal ion concentration was increased beyond 2 ppm. Specifically, the biosorbent’s effectiveness was studied at 5, 10, 25, and 50 ppm metal ion concentrations. Interestingly, the decrease in effectiveness with regards to Pb2+ was relatively marginal, suggesting a stronger preference of Caladium bicolor for lead. In order to determine optimal conditions required for effective adsorption or high metal removal efficiencies, the effect of biosorbent mass and contact time for equilibration of the biosorbent with the metals were also investigated. While 30 min contact time was found to be adequate for effective metal removal, there was no significant difference in the results obtained when 0.5 g vs 2.0 g of the biosorbent was used. FT-IR analyses also revealed that similar functional groups were responsible for the removal of all the four metals studied.