Effects of 5-Fluorouracil, Etoposide and CdCl2 in Aquatic Oligochaeta Limnodrilus udekemianus Claparede (Tubificidae) Measured by Comet Assay

Genotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), etoposide (ET) and cadmium chloride (CdCl2) was evaluated in Limnodrilus udekemianus, cosmopolitan tubificid species, by alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Groups of 50 individuals were exposed in vivo in water-only short-term (96 h) tests to 5-FU (0.004, 0.04, 0.4, 4 and 40 mu M), ET (0.004. 0.04, 0.4 and 4 mu M) and CdCl2 (0.004, 0.04, 0.4, 4 and 40 mu M). Mortality of worms was observed only for CdCl2 (4 and 40 mu M). Cell viability lower than 70 \% was detected for 5-FU (0.4, 4 and 40 mu M), ET (4 mu M) and CdCl2 (0.4 and 4 mu M). All tested substances induced significant increase of DNA damage except 0.004 mu M of ET. L. udekemianus being sensitive to all tested substances indicates that it can be used in ecogenotoxicology studies. Concern should be raised to cytostatics, especially to 5-FU, since concentration of 0.004 mu M induced DNA damage is similar to ones detected in wastewaters.Water Air and Soil Pollution (2015), 226(242

INFLUENCE OF HIGH SUMMER TEMPERATURES ON REDUCED FISH PRODUCTION IN FISH PONDS OF EASTERN CROATIA

Problem nedovoljnih količina vode i visoke temperature vode u ljetnim mjesecima u ribnjacima istočne Hrvatske (od 1. 7. do 1. 9. 1998.), utjecao je na smanjenu proizvodnju (prirast) riba u ribnjačarstvima. Temperature zraka od preko 30°C, te povećano zagrijavanje vode bili su uzrokom povećanog potroška hrane, a manjeg prirasta, kao i povećanih troškova crpnih postaja, troškova vezanih za oplemenjivanje vodenih površina s kisikom, te uzrokom manjeg ili većeg pomora ribe, kao i pogoršana zdravstvenog stanja nasada. Sve je ovo uzrokovalo smanjeni prirast kod riba u ribnjacima. Na 825 ha površina pod jednogodišnjim mlađem u ribnjačarstvima u istočnoj Hrvatskoj, kao i na 1.208 ha dvogodišnjeg mlađa i 2.637 ha ribnjaka s konzumnom ribom, smanjena je prosječno proizvodnja, i to: za jednogodišnji mlađ 36,0%, za dvogodišnji mlađ 30,0% i za konzumnu ribu 27,50%. Na osnovi ukupne procjene smanjenja prirasta i manjega broja kilograma proizvedene ribe, a na temelju prosječnih prodajnih vrijednosti ribe, ribnjačarstva su imala smanjenu realizaciju pretvorenu u kune za 24.230.079,00 kuna. Na osnovi ovih pokazatelja zaključuje se da je utjecaj visokih ljetnih temperatura prouzročio elementarnu nepogodu za proizvođače ribe istočne Hrvatske, te se može postaviti opravdani zahtjev za nadoknadu učinjene štete.The problem of insufficient quantities and high temperature of water during the summer months (1st July to 1st September 1998) in the fish ponds of Eastern Croatia had as a consequence a reduced production (growth) of fish in the fish ponds. Air temperatures higher than 30 °C and warming up of water were the causes of a larger food consumption and smaller growth, as well as of an increase in expenses connected with pump stations and with aeration of the water, and they have also caused a higher or lower death-rate of fish and a deterioration of the health condition of the fry setting. All this has resulted in a smaller growth of fish in fishponds. On the 825 ha of fish ponds with one year old fingerlings in Eastern Croatia, as well as on the 1,208 ha of fish ponds with two year old fingerlings and 2,637 ha of fish ponds with fish for the market the production was on the average reduced as follows: in one year old fingerlings it was reduced by 36,0%, in two year old fish by 30,0% and in the fish for the market by 27,5%. On the basis of the total assessment of the reduction of growth and of a smaller number of kilograms of produced fish founded on the average sale value of fish the fish ponds recorded a drop in realization which - converted into money - was reduced by 24,230.079,00 kn. These indicators lead to the conclusion that the influence of high summer temperatures had the effect of natural disaster for fish producers in Eastern Croatia and therefore they have a justified right to demand compensation for the damage they have suffered

Biology and conservation of freshwater bivalves : past, present and future perspectives

Freshwater bivalves have been highly threatened by human activities, and recently their global decline has been causing conservational and social concern. In this paper, we review the most important research events in freshwater bivalve biology calling attention to the main scientific achievements. A great bias exists in the research effort, with much more information available for bivalve species belonging to the Unionida in comparison to other groups. The same is true for the origin of these studies, since the publishing pattern does not always correspond to the hotspots of biodiversity but is concentrated in the northern hemisphere mainly in North America, Europe and Russia, with regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia being quite understudied. We also summarize information about past, present and future perspectives concerning the most important research topics that include taxonomy, systematics, anatomy, physiology, ecology and conservation of freshwater bivalves. Finally, we introduce the articles published in this Hydrobiologia special issue related with the International Meeting on Biology and Conservation of Freshwater Bivalves held in 2012 in Braganc¸a, Portugal.We would like to express our gratitude to our sponsors and institutions, especially to the Polytechnic Institute of Braganca for all the logistic support. We acknowledge all keynote speakers, authors, session chairpersons and especially to all attendees whose contributions were fundamental for the success of this meeting. We would also like to thank all referees of this special issue and to Koen Martens, Editor-in-Chief of Hydrobiologia, for all the valuable comments and suggestions. The chronogram was built with the help of the expert opinion of fellow colleagues Rafael Araujo, Arthur Bogan, Kevin Cummings, Dan Graf, Wendell Haag, Karl-Otto Nagel and David Strayer to whom we are very grateful. The authors acknowledge the support provided by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and COMPETE funds-projects CONBI (Contract: PTDC/AAC-AMB/117688/2010) and ECO-IAS (Contract: PTDC/AAC-AMB/116685/2010), and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE, under the project "PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2011"

Supplementary data for article : Kolarević, S.; Milovanović, D.; Kračun-Kolarević, M.; Kostić, J.; Sunjog, K.; Martinović, R.; Đorđević, J.; Novaković, I.; Sladić, D.; Vuković-Gačić, B. Evaluation of Genotoxic Potential of Avarol, Avarone, and Its Methoxy and Methylamino Derivatives in Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Test Models. Drug and Chemical Toxicology 2019, 42 (2), 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/01480545.2017.1413108

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1080/01480545.2017.1413108]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/322

Biological activities of Cretan Salvia pomifera extracts

The polyphenolic content and biological activities of dichloromethane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol extracts of Cretan Salvia pomifera L. (Lamiaceae) were analysed. The ethyl acetate extract showed the highest content of total phenolics and total flavonoids. The ethanol extract exhibited the highest activity in the DPPH and FRAP assays, while the dichloromethane extract had the highest activity in the ABTS test. The ethyl acetate extract showed the highest activity in the β-carotene--linoleic acid system. The antioxidant activity of extracts was positively correlated with the total content of phenolics. Extracts demonstrated weak antibacterial activity. The ethyl acetate extract had the highest acethylcholinesterase inhibition at 50 μg/mL, while the ethanol and dichloromethane extracts showed the highest activity of tyrosinase inhibition at 25 μg/mL. In view of the significance of antioxidants in prevention and treatment of neurological diseases, the noticeable antioxidant and anti-neurodegenerative effects of the ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts recorded in this study make further research on S. pomifera seem promisin

Supplementary data for article : Kolarević, S.; Milovanović, D.; Kračun-Kolarević, M.; Kostić, J.; Sunjog, K.; Martinović, R.; Đorđević, J.; Novaković, I.; Sladić, D.; Vuković-Gačić, B. Evaluation of Genotoxic Potential of Avarol, Avarone, and Its Methoxy and Methylamino Derivatives in Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Test Models. Drug and Chemical Toxicology 2019, 42 (2), 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/01480545.2017.1413108

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1080/01480545.2017.1413108]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/322

Antitumor activity of Lamiaceae plants frequently used in Serbian folk medicine and cuisine.

Recently, cancer research has focused on searching for new and more effective antitumor agents of natural origin that can activate multiple defence mechanisms and selectively damage transformed cells. The goal of this research was to assess different antitumor mechanisms of ethanolic extracts of 18 Lamiaceae species traditionally used in Serbian folk medicine and cuisine, as well as their genotoxic potential towards HCT-116 (colorectal cancer) cells. The viability of treated HCT-116 cells was assessed by MTT assay; the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by treated HCT- 116 cells was determined using NBT assay, while their production of nitric oxide (NO) was evaluated using Griess assay. The genotoxic activity of the extracts on HCT-116 cells was tested in Comet assay, using etoposide as a positive control. The results indicated that lavender, basil, and rosemary inhibited the proliferation of these cells, significantly lowering their viability. Moreover, lavender and thyme extracts displayed a significant increase in ROS production, whereas ground- ivy, hyssop, lemon balm, peppermint, basil, rosemary, sage, and winter savory have significantly lowered their production. The results of the Griess assay suggested that lavender, motherwort, peppermint, basil, rosemary, sage, winter savory, ironwort, and thyme have significantly increased the production of NO. Furthermore, Comet assay results pointed out that motherwort, peppermint, basil, oregano, marjoram, winter savory, ironwort, wild thyme, thyme, and mountain germander possess genotoxic potential towards HCT-116 cells, while only basil had genotoxic activity statistically similar to etoposide. The obtained results are in accordance with our previous findings, which indicated that these extracts have antigenotoxic and genoprotective activities towards normal cells. Finally, it can be concluded that these traditionally valued plants might act as potent antitumor agents by modulating the proliferation and production of ROS and NO by cancer cells, as well as by expressing significant genotoxic properties towards cancer cells

Linking mixing processes and climate variability to the heat content distribution of the Eastern Mediterranean abyss

The heat contained in the ocean (OHC) dominates the Earth’s energy budget and hence represents a fundamental parameter for understanding climate changes. However, paucity of observational data hampers our knowledge on OHC variability, particularly in abyssal areas. Here, we analyze water characteristics, observed during the last three decades in the abyssal Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean), where two competing convective sources of bottom water exist. We find a heat storage of ~1.6 W/m2– twice that assessed globally in the same period – exceptionally well-spread throughout the local abyssal layers. Such an OHC accumulation stems from progressive warming and salinification of the Eastern Mediterranean, producing warmer near-bottom waters. We analyze a new process that involves convectively-generated waters reaching the abyss as well as the triggering of a diapycnal mixing due to rough bathymetry, which brings to a warming and thickening of the bottom layer, also influencing water-column potential vorticity. This may affect the prevailing circulation, altering the local cyclonic/anticyclonic long-term variability and hence precondition future water-masses formation and the redistribution of heat along the entire water-column

Different aspect of sustainable use of fish resources in Serbia for the period 2006-2017

Ovaj rad ima za cilj da ustanovi koja je uloga zakona u dobrom upravljanju ribolovnim resursima. Zaštita i održivo korišćenje ribljeg fonda u Srbiji regulisano je istoimenim zakonom, a odvija se na 17 ribarskih područja i 29 ribarskih područja u zaštićenim prirodnim dobrima. Na 17 osnovnih ribarskih područja upravljaju „javna preduzeća“ ili privatne firme u statusu „doo“. Kod većih područja, posebno u Vojvodini, postoji više upravljača za jedno ribarsko područje. U zaštićenim prirodnim dobrima upravljači su ujedno i korisnici ribljeg fonda. U periodu od 2006. do 2017. godine Zakon o zaštiti i održivom korišćenju ribljeg fonda menjan je u dva navrata: 2009. i 2014. godine. Podzakonska akta su takođe podložna vrlo čestim promenama. U radu se prate efekti promene zakonske regulative na broj rekre ativnih i profesionalnih ribolovaca, broj ribočuvara i trendove u ulovima. Osnovni trendovi su da broj rekreativnih ribolovaca u navedenom periodu opada, broj profesionalnih riba ra stagnira, dok broj ribočuvara raste. Ulov ima tendenciju opadanja za sve vrste koje se statististički prate (šaran, som, smuđ i deverika od autohtonih vrsta, i babuška i tolstolobik od alohtonih). Odnos ulova u rekreativnom i komercijalnom ribolovu pokazuje značajne promene u poslednjih desetak godina: osim za tolstolobika, kod koga dominira komer cijalni ulov, kod ostalih vrsta je došlo do zamene u smislu da rekreativni ulov preuzima dominaciju u poslednjih nekoliko godin

Genetic Differentiation of the Western Capercaillie Highlights the Importance of South-Eastern Europe for Understanding the Species Phylogeography

The Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus L.) is a grouse species of open boreal or high altitude forests of Eurasia. It is endangered throughout most mountain range habitat areas in Europe. Two major genetically identifiable lineages of Western Capercaillie have been described to date: the southern lineage at the species' southernmost range of distribution in Europe, and the boreal lineage. We address the question of genetic differentiation of capercaillie populations from the Rhodope and Rila Mountains in Bulgaria, across the Dinaric Mountains to the Slovenian Alps. The two lineages' contact zone and resulting conservation strategies in this so-far understudied area of distribution have not been previously determined. The results of analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences of 319 samples from the studied populations show that Alpine populations were composed exclusively of boreal lineage; Dinaric populations of both, but predominantly (96%) of boreal lineage; and Rhodope-Rila populations predominantly (>90%) of southern lineage individuals. The Bulgarian mountains were identified as the core area of the southern lineage, and the Dinaric Mountains as the western contact zone between both lineages in the Balkans. Bulgarian populations appeared genetically distinct from Alpine and Dinaric populations and exhibited characteristics of a long-term stationary population, suggesting that they should be considered as a glacial relict and probably a distinct subspecies. Although all of the studied populations suffered a decline in the past, the significantly lower level of genetic diversity when compared with the neighbouring Alpine and Bulgarian populations suggests that the isolated Dinaric capercaillie is particularly vulnerable to continuing population decline. The results are discussed in the context of conservation of the species in the Balkans, its principal threats and legal protection status. Potential conservation strategies should consider the existence of the two lineages and their vulnerable Dinaric contact zone and support the specificities of the populations