Nutritional and ameliorative effects of dietary curcumin and its nano-silica and nano-zeolite encapsulated forms on growth, biochemical and fatty acid profile of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The present study aimed to examine individual nutritional and ameliorative effects of silica nanoparticles (SiO(2)NPs) and natural zeolite nanoparticles (ZeNPs) and their potential role as carriers to alter the bioavailability of curcumin. Common carps (Cyprinus carpio) were fed during 60 days with a control diet, and curcumin, turmeric, SiO(2)NPs, curcumin-loaded SiO(2)NPs, ZeNPs, and curcumin-loaded ZeNPs each at 1, 50, 6.15, 7.15, 39, and 40 g/kg diet, respectively. The highest weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) were observed in fish fed with turmeric (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary curcumin and ZeNPs increased the content of monounsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.05). After exposure to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), the lowest amount of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was obtained in fish fed with curcumin (P < 0.05). In addition, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) decreased significantly in the negative control, curcumin, and curcumin-loaded SiO(2)NPs treatments in comparison to the positive control group (P < 0.05). The lowest silver accumulation was observed in the negative control and SiO(2)NPs groups (P < 0.05). This experiment demonstrated that while the nanoencapsulation of curcumin on SiO(2)NPs and ZeNPs did not enhanced the impact of curcumin on the growth and biochemical factors of carps, it can still be considered a potential dietary supplement for enhancing growth and antioxidant indices when added individually to the diet.GRC97-06503-1info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exposure Assessment Study on Lithium-Ion Battery Fire in Explosion Test Room in Battery Testing Facility

A lithium-ion battery is a rechargeable battery that uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy and is the predominant battery type in many industrial and consumer electronics. The lithium-ion batteries are essential to ensure they operate safely. We conducted an exposure assessment five days after a fire in a battery-testing facility. We assessed some of the potentially hazardous materials after a lithium-ion battery fire. We sampled total suspended particles, hydrogen fluoride, and lithium with real-time monitoring of particulate matter (PM) 1, 2.5, and 10 micrometers (μm). The area sampling results indicated that primary potential hazardous materials such as dust, hydrogen fluoride, and lithium were below the recommended limits suggested by the Korean Ministry of Labor and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values. Based on our assessment, workers were allowed to return to work

Dietary supplementation with curcumin nanomicelles, curcumin, and turmeric affects growth performance and silver nanoparticle toxicity in Cyprinus carpio

An 8-week feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of curcumin nanomicelle, curcumin, and turmeric (Curcuma longa) on growth performances, body composition, fatty acid profile, and biochemical parameters of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and their ameliorative effects against toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). A total of 120 healthy carps were randomly distributed into four equal treatments. Curcumin nanomicelle, curcumin, and turmeric were each added separately to the basal diet. After the feeding trials, all treatments were exposed to a non-lethal concentration of AgNPs (0.5 mg L−1) for 96 h. Fish fed dietary turmeric showed a significantly higher weight gain. The body protein content was significantly increased in all feeding groups, while the lipid content showed a significant decrease in the turmeric-treated group.Dietary turmeric improved the concentration of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA). AgNP exposure led to increases in liver catalase (CAT) activity of carps fed with turmeric and curcumin. The lowest amount of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was obtained in fish fed with nanomicelle curcumin and curcumin diets. The lowest amount of silver accumulation in the liver of carps was found in fish fed with dietary curcumin nanomicelle. This experiment suggests that supplementation of turmeric (50 g kg−1) or curcumin (1000 mg kg−1) may play an important role in enhancing growth performances and fatty acid composition of the common carp.Moreover, administration of curcumin nanomicelle in the diet may have a potential ameliorative effect against toxicity of AgNPs.GRC97-06503-1info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Acute and Short-Term Inhalation of Carbon Nanofiber in Sprague-Dawley Rats

The inhalation toxicity of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) is not clearly known due to relatively few related studies reported. An acute inhalation study and short-term inhalation study (5 days) were therefore conducted using Sprague-Dawley rats. In the acute inhalation study, the rats were grouped and exposed to a fresh air control or to low (0.238 &plusmn; 0.197), moderate (1.935 &plusmn; 0.159), or high (24.696 &plusmn; 6.336 mg/m3) CNF concentrations for 6 h and thereafter sacrificed at 14 days. For the short-term inhalation study, the rats were grouped and exposed to a fresh air control or low (0.593 &plusmn; 0.019), moderate (2.487 &plusmn; 0.213), or high (10.345 &plusmn; 0.541 mg/m3) CNF concentrations for 6 h/day for 5 days and sacrificed at 1, 3, and 21 days post-exposure. No mortality was observed in the acute inhalation study. Thus, the CNF LC50 was higher than 25 mg/m3. No significant body or organ weight changes were noted during the 5 days short-term inhalation study or during the post-exposure period. No significant effects of toxicological importance were observed in the hematological, blood biochemical, and coagulation tests. In addition, the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cell differential counts and BAL inflammatory markers showed no CNF-exposure-relevant changes. The histopathological examination also found no CNF-exposure-relevant histopathological lesions. Thus, neither acute nor 5 days inhalation exposure to CNFs induced any noticeable toxicological responses

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field