In Silico methods to predict toxicity have become increasingly important recently, particularly in light of European legislation such as REACH and the Cosmetics Regulation. They are also being used extensively worldwide e.g. in the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia. In assessing the risk that a chemical may pose to human health or to the environment, focus is now being directed towards exploitation of in silico methods to replace in vivo or in vitro techniques. A prediction of potential toxicity requires several stages: 1) Collation and organisation of data available for the compound, or if this is not available, information for related compounds. 2) An assessment of the quality of the data. 3) Generation of additional information about the compound using computational techniques at various levels of complexity - calculation of physico-chemical properties, 2-D, 3-D / MO descriptors and specific receptor modelling / interaction. 4) Use of an appropriate strategy to predict toxicity - ie a statistically valid method which makes best use of all available information (mechanism of action, activity for related compounds, extrapolation across species and endpoints, likely exposure scenario amounts over time etc). 5) Consideration then needs to be given to how this information is used in the real world ie use of expert systems / tools as relevant to assessors (if sufficiently different to previous) - weight of evidence approaches. 6) Finally evidence should be presented from case studies within this area. No other publication brings together information on all of these areas in one book and this publication is unique in that it provides a logical progression through every one of these key stages and defines the use of computational approaches to predict the environmental toxicity and human health effects of organic chemicals. The volume is aimed at the developers and users of in silico toxicology and provides an analysis of all aspects required for in silico prediction of toxicology, including data collation, quality assessment and computational approaches. The contributions from recognised leaders in each of these areas include evidence of the use and applicability of approaches using real world case studies concerning both environmental and human health effects. The book provides a very useful single source reference for people working in this area including academics, professionals, under- and post-graduate students as well as Governmental Regulatory Scientists involved in chemical risk assessment and REACH.

As a guide for pharmaceutical professionals to the issues and practices of drug discovery toxicology, this book integrates and reviews the strategy and application of tools and methods at each step of the drug discovery process. - Guides researchers as to what drug safety experiments are both practical and useful - Covers a variety of key topics - safety lead optimization, in vitro-in vivo translation, organ toxicology, ADME, animal models, biomarkers, and -omics tools - Describes what experiments are possible and useful and offers a view into the future, indicating key areas to watch for new predictive methods - Features contributions from firsthand industry experience, giving readers insight into the strategy and execution of predictive toxicology practices

Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine has become a classic text in the field of free radical and antioxidant research. Now in its fifth edition, the book has been comprehensively rewritten and updated whilst maintaining the clarity of its predecessors. Two new chapters discuss 'in vivo' and 'dietary' antioxidants, the first emphasising the role of peroxiredoxins and integrated defence mechanisms which allow useful roles for ROS, and the second containing new information on the role of fruits, vegetables, and vitamins in health and disease. This new edition also contains expanded coverage of the mechanisms of oxidative damage to lipids, DNA, and proteins (and the repair of such damage), and the roles played by reactive species in signal transduction, cell survival, death, human reproduction, defence mechanisms of animals and plants against pathogens, and other important biological events. The methodologies available to measure reactive species and oxidative damage (and their potential pitfalls) have been fully updated, as have the topics of phagocyte ROS production, NADPH oxidase enzymes, and toxicology. There is a detailed and critical evaluation of the role of free radicals and other reactive species in human diseases, especially cancer, cardiovascular, chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. New aspects of ageing are discussed in the context of the free radical theory of ageing. This book is recommended as a comprehensive introduction to the field for students, educators, clinicians, and researchers. It will also be an invaluable companion to all those interested in the role of free radicals in the life and biomedical sciences.

Preclinical screening for drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunction can predict toxicity and revolutionizedrug development

All too often, despite adherence to regulatory guidelines, a new drug reaches the market and its toxicity is not discovered until many patients have been exposed. In many cases, this unpredicted toxicity is due to the drug's adverse effects on mitochondrial function or replication. This reference presents technological developments that facilitate preclinical drug evaluation for potential mitochondrial toxicity, addressing the issue early in the drug development process. With chapters contributed by leading specialists in their areas, Drug-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction:

Explains basic concepts so that non-specialists can understand mitochondrial function

Discusses mitochondrial etiology of organ toxicity, covering the liver, heart, and kidney, as well as the skeletal muscle, nervous system, and lipoatrophy

Details methodologies and techniques used to assess mitochondria function so researchers can address drug-induced mitochondrial impairment in their own labs

Includes new models that detect drug-induced mitochondrial impairment in short-duration studies typical of preclinical drug evaluations

Features both in vitro and in vivo methods for analysis, including practical screening approaches for drug discovery and development

This is the authoritative reference on drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunction for safety assessment professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, including bench scientists and managers, and for pharmacologists and toxicologists in both drug and environmental health sciences.

"Haschek and Rousseaux's Handbook of Toxicologic Pathology" is a key reference on the integration of structure and functional changes in tissues associated with the response to pharmaceuticals, chemicals and biologics. The 3e has been expanded by a full volume, and covers aspects of safety assessment not discussed in the 2e. Completely revised with many new chapters, it remains the most authoritative reference on toxicologic pathology for scientists and researchers studying and making decisions on drugs, biologics, medical devices and other chemicals, including agrochemicals and environmental contaminants. New topics include safety assessment, the drug life cycle, risk assessment, communication and management, carcinogenicity assessment, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, biomarkers in toxicologic pathology, quality assurance, peer review, agrochemicals, nanotechnology, food and toxicologic pathology, the environment and toxicologic pathology and more.
Provides new chapters and in-depth discussion of timely topics in the area of toxicologic pathology and broadens the scope of the audience to include toxicologists and pathologists working in a variety of settingsOffers high-quality and trusted content in a multi-contributed work written by leading international authorities in all areas of toxicologic pathologyFeatures hundreds of full color images in both the print and electronic versions of the book to highlight difficult concepts with clear illustrations

Hygienic Design of Food Factories, Second Edition includes updates on existing chapters, along with new sections on cold storage, the control of air in food refrigeration facilities, and prevention of contamination when building during production and regulations in Asian countries (other than Japan). Sections cover the implications of hygiene and construction regulation in various countries on food factory design, describe site selection, factory layout and the associated issue of airflow, and address the hygienic design of essential parts of a food factory, including walls, ceilings, floors, selected utility and process support systems, entry and exit points, storage areas, and more. With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, this book continues to be an essential reference for managers of food factories, food plant engineers, and all those with an academic research interest in the field.

Present Knowledge in Food Safety: A Risk-Based Approach Through the Food Chain presents approaches for exposure-led risk assessment and the management of changes in the chemical, pathogenic microbiological and physical (radioactivity) contamination of 'food' at all key stages of production, from farm to consumption. This single volume resource introduces scientific advances at all stages of the production to improve reliability, predictability and relevance of food safety assessments for the protection of public health. This book is aimed at a diverse audience, including graduate and post-graduate students in food science, toxicology, microbiology, medicine, public health, and related fields. The book's reach also includes government agencies, industrial scientists, and policymakers involved in food risk analysis.

Sewer systems fall into the category "out of sight, out of mind" - they seldom excite interest. But when things go wrong with the air in the sewer system, they go very wrong. Consequences can be dramatic and devastating: sewer workers killed instantly by poisonous gas when they lift a sewer lid, or entire suburban blocks levelled by explosions. This book describes the atmospheric dangers commonly found in the sewer system. It provides easily-understood explanations of the science behind the hazards, combined with real-life examples of when things went dramatically wrong.

We are all just a little bit plastic. Traces of bisphenol A or BPA, a chemical used in plastics production, are widely detected in our bodies and environment. Is this chemical, and its presence in the human body, safe? What is meant by safety? Who defines it, and according to what information? "Is It Safe?" narrates how the meaning of the safety of industrial chemicals has been historically produced by breakthroughs in environmental health research, which in turn trigger contests among trade associations, lawyers, politicians, and citizen activists to set new regulatory standards. Drawing on archival research and extensive interviews, author Sarah Vogel explores the roots of the contemporary debate over the safety of BPA, and the concerns presented by its estrogen-like effects even at low doses. Ultimately, she contends that science alone cannot resolve the political and economic conflicts at play in the definition of safety. To strike a sustainable balance between the interests of commerce and public health requires recognition that powerful interests will always try to shape the criteria for defining safety, and that the agenda for environmental health research should be protected from capture by any single interest group.

Concerns about the adverse effects of chemicals present in the environment have created a need for better systems to assess their potential consequences on human health. One potential solution is the versatile and state-of-the-art Comet assay. Simple, sensitive, rapid and visual, this modern toxicological method allows quantitative and qualitative assessment of DNA damage in single cells. This assay is used in diverse fields ranging from clinical applications, human monitoring and environmental toxicology through to genetic toxicity testing. This updated and revised edition of The Comet Assay in Toxicology provides the latest information on this important tool. It addresses, in-depth, the different protocols, statistical analyses and applications used worldwide. It also includes the guidelines recommended by the Working Group on Comet Assay. The book begins with a review of the genesis of the assay for those new to the technique and goes on to explain procedures followed to assess different types of DNA damage, various applications of the assay, and guidelines for the conduct of the assay in in vitro and in vivo systems. New chapters written for this edition will provide information on the most contemporary approaches and applications, including in silico approaches, on meta-analysis of data and on the application of the Comet Assay in nanotoxicology. This book will serve as both a reference and a guide to students as well as investigators in the biomedical, biochemical and pharmaceutical sciences fields.

Environmental Contaminants and Medicinal Plants Action on Female Reproduction discusses the problem of environmental pollution, medicinal and food plants, and their impact on reproduction. The book describes the mechanisms of environmental contaminants' action, outlines the key causes of their harmful impact on reproduction, and explores what regulatory substances and processes should be targeted due to the negative effect of pollutants on reproduction. Furthermore, it describes the provenance, properties, physiological and therapeutic effects, and possible areas of application of the known medicinal and functional food plants and their constituents with a focus on female reproductive processes. This book will be a useful resource for reproductive biologists, specialists in assisted reproduction, animal production and phytotherapy, toxicologists, pharmacologists, pharmaceutical scientists, endocrinologists, medicinal and natural product chemists, nutritionists and others engaged in the study of environmental contaminants and medicinal and functional food plants.