Hepatic ameliorative role of vitamin B17 against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma–induced liver toxicity

Vitamin B17 (VB17), also known as amygdalin and laetrile, is a type of carbohydrate occurring naturally in many plants, such as apricot kernels which have obtained a great interest in cancer therapy. This study aimed to investigate the hepatic protective potential of VB17 against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC)–bearing mice-induced liver injury, DNA damage, apoptotic P53, and PCNA alterations. A total of 100 female mice were divided into 5 groups (1st group, control group; 2nd group, VB17 group; 3rd group, EAC group; 4th group, pre-treated EAC with VB17; 5th group, co-treated EAC with VB17). Results showed that the presence of VB17 in pre-treated and co-treated groups lead to decreased DNA damage, microsomal protein, NADPH cytochrome c reductase, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), AST, ALT, and ALP while showed increased cytochrome b5, cytochrome P450 amidopyrine N-demethylase, and aniline 4-hydroxylase compared with the EAC group. Many histopathological changes were observed in liver sections in EAC as moderate fibrosis and marked diffuse necrosis of hepatic tissue, marked inflammatory cells, and congested blood sinusoids. On the other hand, there was a moderate degree of improvement in hepatocytes in liver sections in pre-treated VB17+EAC, while a mild degree of improvement in hepatocytes, moderate cellular infiltrations, and moderate cytoplasmic vacuolization of hepatocytes in liver sections in co-treated EAC+VB17. In addition, there was a depletion in hepatic P53 and PCNA protein expression compared with the EAC group. It could be concluded that VB17 has a potential hepatoprotective effect against EAC cell–induced liver toxicity.

     

Protective effects of thymoquinone and diallyl sulphide against malathion-induced toxicity in rats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Malathion is a potent organophosphate insecticide that inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. Our experimental objective was to investigate the...     

Effects of Deltamethrin on striatum and hippocampus mitochondrial integrity and the protective role of Quercetin in rats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present work is to evaluate the neurotoxicity induced by pyrethroid insecticide “Deltamethrin” at 0.32 mg/kg/day in two main...     

Can greening of aquaculture sequester blue carbon?

Globally, blue carbon (i.e., carbon in coastal and marine ecosystems) emissions have been seriously augmented due to the devastating effects of anthropogenic pressures on coastal ecosystems including mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows. The greening of aquaculture, however, including an ecosystem approach to Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture (IAA) and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) could play a significant role in reversing this trend, enhancing coastal ecosystems, and sequestering blue carbon. Ponds within IAA farming systems sequester more carbon per unit area than conventional fish ponds, natural lakes, and inland seas. The translocation of shrimp culture from mangrove swamps to offshore IMTA could reduce mangrove loss, reverse blue carbon emissions, and in turn increase storage of blue carbon through restoration of mangroves. Moreover, offshore IMTA may create a barrier to trawl fishing which in turn could help restore seagrasses and further enhance blue carbon sequestration. Seaweed and shellfish culture within IMTA could also help to sequester more blue carbon. The greening of aquaculture could face several challenges that need to be addressed in order to realize substantial benefits from enhanced blue carbon sequestration and eventually contribute to global climate change mitigation.     

Upgraded modified forms of bituminous coal for the removal of safranin-T dye from aqueous solution

Natural bituminous coal was used as a precursor in the synthesis of different modified products. The modification of coal was performed by treating it with nitric acid (N-coal), coating its surface by zinc oxide nanoparticles (Z-coal), and converting it into porous graphite (PG). The effect of modification processes on the structures, morphologies, and optical properties was followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), and UV/VIS spectrophotometer analysis. The surface of N-coal grains becomes smoother than the surface of raw coal grains due to the removal of the associated impurities and the formation of nitrogen function groups. For Z-coal, the whole surface of coal grains appears to be completely covered by agglomerated ZnO nanoparticles of massive density and irregular shapes. The average crystallite size of the formed ZnO is ~22.2 nm and density of dislocations is 2.029 × 10^?3 dislocation/nm². Also, the removal of safranin-T dye by natural bituminous coal and its modified forms was investigated as a function of contact time, adsorbent mass, initial dye concentration, and pH value. At pH 8, the PG showed higher efficiency (96%) than Z-coal (93.5%), N-coal (74.5%), and natural coal (62%) after 2 h for 0.1 g on 100 mg/L dye. The obtained results are well fitted by pseudo-second-order kinetic than by intraparticle diffusion and Elovich kinetic models for the adsorption by N-coal, Z-coal, and PG, whereas the adsorption by raw coal is well fitted with both pseudo-second-order and Elovich kinetic models. The Langmuir isotherm model fits well the equilibrium adsorption isotherm of safranin by raw coal and its modified forms. The values of maximum adsorption capacity were calculated for raw coal, N-coal, Z-coal, and PG to be 21.3, 27.4, 32.46, and 33.67 mg/g, respectively. A monolayer model with one energy and a monolayer model with two energies as advanced equilibrium models were investigated for more physical interpretation of the adsorption process. The calculated parameters (number of adsorbed molecules per site and number of receptor sites per unit mass) reflected the role of modification processes in the adsorption behavior of safranin.

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Graphical abstract High volatile bituminous coal and its modified forms have been used for the removal of Safranin-T dye from aqueous solution.

     

Role of non-timber forest products in sustaining forest-based livelihoods and rural households' resilience capacity in and around protected area: a Bangladesh study†

People in the developing world derive a significant part of their livelihoods from various forest products, particularly non-timber forest products (NTFPs). This article attempts to explore the contribution of NTFPs in sustaining forest-based rural livelihood in and around a protected area (PA) of Bangladesh, and their potential role in enhancing households' resilience capacity. Based on empirical investigation, our study revealed that local communities gather a substantial amount of NTFPs from national park despite the official restrictions. Twenty seven percent households (HHs) of the area received at least some cash benefit from the collection, processing and selling of NTFPs, and NTFPs contribute to HHs' primary, supplementary and emergency sources of income. NTFPs also constituted an estimated 19% of HHs' net annual income, and were the primary occupation for about 18% of the HHs. HHs' dependency on nearby forests for various NTFPs varied vis-à-vis their socio-economic condition, as well as with their location from the park. Based on our case study, the article also offers some clues for improving the situation in PA.     

Develop dynamic model for predicting traffic CO emissions in urban areas

The greater the use of energy in the transportation sectors, the higher the emission of carbon monoxide (CO), and hence inevitable harm to environment and human health. In this concern, measuring and predicting of CO emission from transportation sector—especially large cities—is important as it constitute 90 % of all CO emission. Many urban cities in developing world have not properly experienced such measurements or predictions. In this paper, for the first time, field measurements of traffic characteristics data and corresponding CO concentration have been performed for developing a model for predicting CO emissions from transportation sector for New Borg El Arab (NBC), Egypt. The performance of Swiss-German Handbook Emission Factors for Road Transport (HBEFA v3.1) model has been assessed for predicting the CO concentration at roadside in the study area. Results indicated that HBEFA v3.1 underestimate emission figures. The developed CO dynamic emission model involves the traffic flow characteristics with roadside CO concentrations. Acceptable representation of measured CO concentration has been shown by the developed dynamic CO emission model which introduces R ²?=?0.77, mean biases and frictional biases of ?0.27 mg m^?3 and 0.09, respectively. A comparison between predicted CO concentrations using HBEFA v3.1 and the promoted dynamic model indicate that HBEFA v3.1 estimates CO emission concentrations in the study area with a mean error and frictional biases 159.26 and 233.33 %, respectively, higher than those of the developed model.     

Neurobehavioral deficits and brain oxidative stress induced by chronic low dose exposure of persistent organic pollutants mixture in adult female rat

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are long-lived organic compounds that are considered one of the major risks to ecosystem and human health. Recently, great concerns are raised about POPs mixtures and its potential toxicity even in low doses of daily human exposure. The brain is mostly targeted by these lipophilic compounds because of its important contain in lipids. So, it would be quite interesting to study the effects of exposure to these mixtures and evaluate their combined toxicity on brain cells. The present study was designed to characterize the cognitive and locomotors deficits and brain areas redox status in rat model. An orally chronic exposure to a representative mixture of POPs composed of endosulfan (2.6 μg/kg), chlorpyrifos (5.2 μg/kg), naphthalene (0.023 μg/kg) and benzopyrane (0.002 μg/kg); the same mixture with concentration multiplied by 10 and 100 was also tested. Exposed rats have shown a disturbance of memory and a decrease in learning ability concluded by Morris water maze and the open field tests results and anxiolytic behaviour in the test of light/dark box compared to control. Concerning brain redox homeostasis, exposed rats have shown an increased malondialdehyde (MDA) amount and an alteration in glutathione (GSH) levels in both the brain mitochondria and cytosolic fractions of the cerebellum, striatum and hippocampus. These effects were accompanied by a decrease in levels of cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (GST) and a highly significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in both cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions. The current study suggests that environmental exposure to daily even low doses of POPs mixtures through diet induces oxidative stress status in the brain and especially in the mitochondria with important cognitive and locomotor behaviour variations in the rats.     

Catalase and ascorbate peroxidase—representative H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-detoxifying heme enzymes in plants

Plants have to counteract unavoidable stress-caused anomalies such as oxidative stress to sustain their lives and serve heterotrophic organisms including humans. Among major enzymatic antioxidants, catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11) are representative heme enzymes meant for metabolizing stress-provoked reactive oxygen species (ROS; such as H₂O₂) and controlling their potential impacts on cellular metabolism and functions. CAT mainly occurs in peroxisomes and catalyzes the dismutation reaction without requiring any reductant; whereas, APX has a higher affinity for H₂O₂ and utilizes ascorbate (AsA) as specific electron donor for the reduction of H₂O₂ into H₂O in organelles including chloroplasts, cytosol, mitochondria, and peroxisomes. Literature is extensive on the glutathione-associated H₂O₂-metabolizing systems in plants. However, discussion is meager or scattered in the literature available on the biochemical and genomic characterization as well as techniques for the assays of CAT and APX and their modulation in plants under abiotic stresses. This paper aims (a) to introduce oxidative stress-causative factors and highlights their relationship with abiotic stresses in plants; (b) to overview structure, occurrence, and significance of CAT and APX in plants; (c) to summarize the principles of current technologies used to assay CAT and APX in plants; (d) to appraise available literature on the modulation of CAT and APX in plants under major abiotic stresses; and finally, (e) to consider a brief cross-talk on the CAT and APX, and this also highlights the aspects unexplored so far.