Informatics Publishing Limited

Rini Roy ¹, Aditi Nag Chaudhuri ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad College, Kolkata, West Bengal, IN
2 Department of Microbiology, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) have contaminated environmental compartments in many countries, increasing the risk of contamination in food, ground water and other water resources. The only feasible solution over here is the use of environmental engineering like phytoremediation to avoid the run-off of the pesticides to the ground water sources or the surface water bodies. Environmental duckweed is chosen as the aquatic plant to observe the rate of disappearance of OPs in increasing concentrations of 1/20 LD₅₀ for seven different OPs. Chromatography is the method of choice which is both sensitive and economical for identification of these pesticides in biological materials. The chlorophyll content of duckweed on 3^rd days, 5^th days and 7^th days of incubation of pesticides was also observed. In case of phytoremediation, OPs were taken to formulate the predicting equation which would show how far a toxic agent could be remediated. Here the assumed model is balanced two stage nested model (in ANCOVA set up). Utilising the linear model a pesticide could be designed with high phytoremediable characteristics. From the study it can be proposed that the residual content of pesticide can be minimized by using natural resource like suitable plants in water bodies surrounding the agricultural fields.

Keywords

Organophosphorus Pesticide, Duckweed, Phytoremediation, Predicting Equation.

Full Text

     

Rituparna Ghoshi ¹, Rini Roy ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Physiology, Bhairab Ganguly College, Feeder Road, Belgharia, Kolkata 700 056, IN
2 Department of Microbiology, Maulana Azad College, 8, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Kolkata-700013, IN

Abstract

The toxic effect of sodium metavanadate on testicular functions of male albino Wistar rats was examined. The testis of each rat was used for assay of antioxidants, such as, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, glutathione-S-transferase and reduced glutathione (GSH). Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was also estimated in testis. In vivo results indicated an imbalance between the generation of reactive oxygen species and oxygen system protectors in the testis of vanadium treated rats. This was reflected in decreased antioxidant enzymes activities, such as, SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Glutahione-S-transferase and Glutathione reductase along with depressed GSH level. Unlike other antioxidant enzymes, the testicular γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase activity was elevated after vanadium exposure as part of the adaptation of cells to oxidative stress. Moreover, there was a marked elevation in lipid peroxidation level that may indirectly lead to an increase in oxidative stress, causing ROS-induced damages to macromolecules, such as, DNA, proteins and key enzymes involved in testicular functions. Therefore, increase in free radical formation relative to loss of antioxidant defense system during vanadium exposure may be implicated in vanadium-induced testicular toxicity, a proven threat to the reproductive health of individuals occupationally or therapeutically exposed to this pollutant.

Keywords

Vanadium Induced Testicular Toxicity, ROS Induced Damage, Oxidative Stress, Male Reproductive Health, Occupational Hazard.

Full Text

     

Rini Roy ¹, Anamika Sekhar ², Ruchika Chorara ², Aditi Nag Chaudhuri ²

Affiliations
1 Dept. of Microbiology, Maulana Azad College, Kolkata, IN
2 Dept. of Microbiology, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, IN

Abstract

Metallothioneins (MTs) are a group of low molecular mass, cysteine-rich proteins with a variety of functions including involvement in metal homeostasis, free radical scavenging, protection against heavy metal damage and metabolic regulation via Zn donation. Besides, levels of MTs in invertebrates and aquatic vertebrates well correlate with heavy metal pollution of an environment and, thus, serve as bio-environmental marker. It is not surprising that these proteins are of great interest not only for biochemists, molecular biologists, clinical chemists but also for environmental chemists and ecologists. Detection and quantification of MTs, which is needed in all above mentioned areas is challenging due to the high cysteine content and relatively low molecular mass. The main objective of this study was to isolate and extract metallothionein from the bacterial culture isolated from the coal mining areas, since the micro-organisms present in the soil of these areas are naturally exposed to a number of various heavy metals as drainage from the coal mines and further to study the thiol content and hence the expression of metallothionein by SDS PAGE in presence of two divalent heavy metal ions.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) binds transition metals and demonstrates increment in expression of NOS activity in presence of metal like chromium. In this study the effects of metals on the activity of NOS and the effects of NOS on the thiol content of proteins were observed in bacterial culture isolated from coal mine area.

Finally an attempt was made there to establish any type of relationship between NOS and MT in the above study.

Full Text