Rotenone is a broad-spectrum pesticide and piscicide that inhibits the transport of electrons in NADH-Q-oxidoreductase (complex I), thereby inhibiting cellular respiration. For the past two decades, epidemiologists have suspected that exposure to rotenone increases the risk of developing Parkinsonism. Although restricted for food use in the United States, rotenone is still used in countries exporting produce. Research has determined rotenone’s presence in produce as well as processed food products, such as tea and olive oil, raising the concern that it does not degrade before and during food processing. Furthermore, there are documented issues with the organic certification of imported produce into the United States, including soybeans. Organic and non-organic national brands of soy milk were purchased from a supermarket in the Greater Cleveland Area, and two samples were analyzed in triplicate for rotenone using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with an ultraviolet light detector (HPLC-UV). A positive determination would indicate that rotenone is not degraded during the process that turns soybeans into milk. The samples were analyzed and compared to samples intentionally spiked with rotenone before they were filtered and dissolved in acetonitrile in preparation for the detection by HPLC- UV. Rotenone was not detected in these samples. However, a reliable method was developed for filtering soy milk and analyzing it for rotenone residues. The method detection limit allows for the determination of rotenone residues in soybeans beyond the maximal residual limit fixed by the European Union.

When it comes to the medical field, 3D modeling has previously been used to render anatomical images in greater detail in order to better understand bodily functions. Lately, however, 3D modeling has made waves in depicting diseases, with a focus on their severity and progression. Unlike a model depicting computer graphics, 3D culture models allow cells to interact in three dimensions and better display cell growth and movement, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Culture models are beneficial in replicating the complexities of disease by promoting interactions between cells and providing insight into potential solutions. In this issue of the Journal of Young Investigators, Priscilla Detwieler and her colleagues demonstrate that atelocollagen incorporated in a 3D model is shown to simulate a potential treatment for inflammation-induced osteoarthritis.  

Over the past decade, there have been many significant advances in the field of skin aging, including studies that explore the clearance of senescent (growth-arrested) cells in skin, regenerative therapeutics, and even 3D bioprinting of skin. One of the latest discoveries showed that blocking Interleukin 17 (IL-17) signaling leads to delays in the skin aging process. But how does IL-17, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, delay what has been known as the inevitable hallmarks of skin aging? 

To combat the harmful effects of stress, neuroscientists are pointing to mindfulness, defined as the practice of being fully present and aware of our external environment and our actions, while not being overly reactive or overwhelmed by external events. To shed light on this, JYI interviewed renowned neuroscientist Dr. Alexandra Fiocco, whose expertise lies at the intersection of mindfulness, stress, and cognitive aging. Dr. Fiocco currently does research at Stress and Healthy Aging Research (StAR) Lab and teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University.