In vivo and in vitro tests for the detection of biochemical and ecotoxicological effects of the herbicide active ingredient glyphosate

Aquatic organisms are outstandingly exposed to water contaminants because of their unavoidable contact with xenobiotics, thus their exposure needs to be routinely monitored. Due to its extensive use, the herbicidal agrochemical active ingredient glyphosate realizes massive exposure, its toxic effects alone and in formulations were evaluated in different in vivo aquatic ecotoxicological tests on various algae species, freshwater biofilm communities, Daphnia magna, and Danio rerio, furthermore the possible cytotoxic, genotoxic, and hormonemodulating effects were evaluated in vitro on different cell lines and test organisms. Significant differences were detected in the individual and combined toxicity of glyphosate and its coformulants presented in the formulations, therefore various additives cannot be classified as unequivocally inactive components. The result of the in vivo testing proved higher toxicity for the formulating agent and the formulation compared to the individual effect of glyphosate, and significant differences in the sensitivity of test species, and the effects on the sexual development of fish were also observed. The performed in vitro assays on cell lines demonstrated the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of glyphosate and its formulations, and some of the effects are the result of the individual toxicity of glyphosate

Impact of heavy metal polluted wastewater sediment on element content and enzyme activity of Sudan grass

Growth chamber pot experiment was set up with two varieties of Sudan grass. Plants were grown in uncontaminated (control) topsoil of the former wastewater settling pond from Debrecen, which was amended with 10% (m/m) of wastewater sediment (P: 5125; Fe: 22756, Pb: 287; Cr: 1027; Zn: 888 mg/kg). The elemental composition of soil and shoots of plants and activities of some enzymes in leaves were measured. It can be concluded that the roots and shoots of plant individuals of both varieties consistently took up higher concentrations of each of the elements from the medium "enriched" with wastewater sediment. The elevated element concentrations were found in some cases in the roots, and in other cases in the leaves (K: ~2000 (soil) - ~13000 (root) - ~30000 (shoot) mg/kg; Cr: ~330 (soil) - ~3,30 (root) - ~0,189 (shoot) mg/kg). The excessive accumulation of toxic elements was not observed. The activities of four enzymes were measured in the leaves of plants (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PDH; isocitrate-dehydrogenase, ICDH; peroxidase, POX; catalase, CAT). The enzyme activities of POX increased meanwhile that of CAT decreased significantly, in spite of slight differences. As a trend, the specific activity for G6PDH increased by 26% (GK Csaba) and 36% (Akklimat), while values for ICDH became higher by 28% (GK Csaba) and 41.5% (Akklimat), for the two varieties studied, respectively. The latter results were not statistically supported

The effect of toxic elements on the microanatomy of the leaves of the Salix alba L.

The effects of a heavy metal containing wastewater sediment on two cultivars of white willow were investigated in a pot experiment. Our aim was to examine the effect of toxic elements on the microanatomical parameters of the leaves of the tested plant. We examined the following parameters: stomatic density, stoma width and length, lamina thickness, adaxial and abaxial epidermis thickness, mesophyll thickness, palisad and spongy parenchyma thickness, main vein width and length. The experiment had the following results: with the presence of toxic elements, the thickness of the lamina increased, within this, there was a significant growth in the thickness of the spongy parenchyma.  The width and the length of the main vein decreased, so did the extent of the xylem cavities. The extent of the collenchymal stock of the leaf venation increased. The number of stomas increased, but the size of the stomas decreased. As a result of toxic element contamination, the number of Ca-oxalate crystals increased within the leaf mesophyll

Sport and Vitamin C = Sport és a C-vitamin

We inhale oxygen to produce energy by oxidizing our food. However, almost 10% of the inhaled oxygen is escaped that basic route, and start to oxidize our bodies. This phenomenon referred to as “oxidatve stress”. This, chemical stress, can be reduced, by higher Vitamin C concentraton. Those who sport will inhale more oxygen and consequently, they have even higher “oxidatve stress” and need substantally higher Vitamin C concentraton. Since Vitamin C is not a drug, but only strengthening the human body, therefore, there is no danger if, for the sake of success, we take more Vitamin C, than, absolutely, necessary. = A belélegzett oxigént szervezetünk felhasználja a szerves vegyületek lebontásához, mely ezáltal az energiaszükségletünk fedezésére fordítódik. Azonban a belélegzett oxigén közel 10%-a nem vesz részt az imént leírt folyamatban, hanem reaktív oxigéngyökökké alakulva képes más molekulákkal kölcsönhatásba lépni, így szervezetünkben oxidatív stresszt indukálni. A magas C-vitamin-koncentráció képes csökkenteni az oxidatív stressz szintjét. Sport közben megnő a belélegzett oxigén mennyisége, mely növeli az oxidatív stressz kialakulásának lehetőségét, ezáltal sportolóknál különösen fontos, hogy növeljék a bevitt C-vitamin mennyiségét. A C-vitamin nem minősül gyógyszernek, így a többlet mennyisége nem jelent veszélyt szervezetünk számára