Nonylphenol and octylphenol differently affect cell redox balance by modulating the nitric oxide signaling

Nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) are pervasive environmental contaminants belonging to the broader class of compounds known as alkylphenols, with potential human toxic effects. Classified as "xenoestrogens," NP and OP are able to interfere with the cell endocrine physiology via a direct interaction with the estrogen receptors. Here, using HepG2 cells in culture, the changes of the cell redox balance and mitochondrial activity induced by OP and NP have been investigated at mu M concentrations, largely below those provoking acute toxicity, as those typical of environmental contaminants. Following 24 h cell exposure to both OP and NP, ROS production appeared significantly increased (p <= 0.01), together with the production of higher NO oxides (p = 0.003) and peroxynitrated protein-derivatives (NP versus CTR, p = 0.003). The mitochondrial proton electrochemical potential gradient instead was decreased (p <= 0.05), as the oxygen consumption by complex IV, particularly following incubation with NP (NP versus CTR, p = 0.017). Consistently, the RT-PCR and Western blot analyses proved that the OP and NP can modulate to a different extent the expression of the inducible NOS (NP versus CTR, p <= 0.01) and the endothelial NOS (OP versus CTR, p <= 0.05), with a significant variation of the coupling efficiency of the latter (NP versus CTR, p <= 0.05), a finding that may provide a novel clue to understand the specific xenoestrogenic properties of OP and NP

Supplementary material for the article: Milenković, M.; Shcherbakov, I. N.; Popov, L. D.; Levchenkov, S. I.; Borodkin, S. A.; Alexandrov, G. G. Synthesis, Characterization and Crystal Structures of Ni(II) and Cu(I) Complexes with the Condensation Product of 2-(Diphenylphosphino)Benzaldehyde and 1-Hydrazinophthalazine. Polyhedron 2017, 121, 278–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2016.10.020

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2016.10.020]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2368]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3256

CONSUMPTION OF EXOPOLYSACCHARIDES FROM LACTIPLANTIBACILLUS PLANTARUM BGAN8 ALTERS THE GUT MICROBIOTA OF DA RAT

Introduction: Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are carbohydrate polymers with important biological activities such as immunomodulatory, antioxidative and antitumor (1). How EPS affect the gut microbiota, which plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis in the organism, is poorly understood to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate how EPS-AN8, derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGAN8, affects part of the gut microbiota in the duodenum of healthy Dark Agouti rats (DA). Materials and Methods: EPS-AN8 was administered to male DA at low (0.1 mg/mL) and high (1 mg/mL) dose over a 15-day period. Total duodenal DNA was isolated and PCR amplicon for 16SrRNA was sequenced on Illumina NovaSeq paired-end platform. Furthermore, we tracked key parameters of oxidative stress and inflammation in duodenal homogenates. Results: The higher dose of EPS-AN8 resulted in an increased Shannon's diversity index. The most significant differences were observed in the increased relative abundance of the genera Ruminococcus, Dubosiella, Enterohabdus, and Adlercreutzia. At the same time, we demonstrated that neither dosage caused negative side effects such as inflammation and oxidative stress. Conclusion: Considering the existing trend to market foods with additional health benefits, our results suggest that EPS-AN8 could be a good candidate for functional food supplementation.International Society of Microbiota 10th ISM World Congress on Targeting Microbiota October 17-19, 2023 – Venice, Ital

The effect of Thymus vulgaris L. hydrolate solutions on the seed germination, seedling length, and oxidative stress of some cultivated and weed species

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the hydrolates obtained as the by-products of the Thymus vulgaris essential oil steam distillation process. The bioassays, which were undertaken in order to determine the effect on germination and initial growth of seedlings of some cultivated and weed species, were performed under controlled conditions with different concentrations of the hydrolates. Seeds of Glycine max, Helianthus annuus, Zea mays, Triticum aestivum, Daucus carota subsp. sativus, Allium cepa, Medicago sativa, and Trifolium repens, and six weed species—Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Portulaca oleracea, Echinochloa crus-galli, Sorghum halepense, and Solanum nigrum—were treated with 10, 20, 50, and 100% T. vulgaris hydrolate solution. The obtained results showed that the T. vulgaris hydrolate had the least negative effect on the germination of cultivated species, such as soybean, sunflower and maize, whereas clover and alfalfa were the most sensitive. By comparison, all the tested weed species expressed high susceptibility. It can be concluded that the T. vulgaris hydrolate has an herbicidal effect, in addition to its potential as a biopesticide in terms of integrated weed management

Initial results of the colorimetric indices of the oldest exposed pedocomplex (Titel loess plateau, Serbia)

In this study we present an in-depth description of the colorimetric values for the lowest section of the Dukatar Loess Palaeosol Sequence (LPS) pedocomplex S5. Formed during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 13-15, it represents the oldest pedocomplex exposed at the base of the Titel loess plateau (TLP), near the confluence of the Tisa and Danube rivers in Vojvodina (northern Serbia). The results of low-field magnetic susceptibility measurements (χlf) were compared to colour properties (obtained by conventional methods as well as instrumental measuring) and quantified Soil Development Indices (SDI). Of these measurements we found that the Redness Index (RI1) yielded the most useful results, as this index appears most sensitive to lithological changes and soil development intensity. It was also observed that a high level of correlation existed between χlf, and a* chromaticity. The initial results of this study highlight the utility of colorimetric methods as an interdisciplinary tool when evaluating the presence of ferromagnetics, and the application of rock magnetism to the Middle and Upper Pleistocene LPS of the Middle Danube Basin. The presented approach can be used to observe the evolution of climatic and ecological conditions in the given study area, and for establishing correlations between sites extending over the Eurasian LPS provinces

Supplementary material for the article: Milenković, M.; Shcherbakov, I. N.; Popov, L. D.; Levchenkov, S. I.; Borodkin, S. A.; Alexandrov, G. G. Synthesis, Characterization and Crystal Structures of Ni(II) and Cu(I) Complexes with the Condensation Product of 2-(Diphenylphosphino)Benzaldehyde and 1-Hydrazinophthalazine. Polyhedron 2017, 121, 278–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2016.10.020

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2016.10.020]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2368]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3256

Uloga EPS-AN8 u zaštiti DA pacova izloženih oralnom unosu kadmijuma(II)

Кадмијум је глобално присутан токсични метал који изазива бројне штетне ефекте у организму и заузима седмо место на листи приоритетних супстанци од којих је неопходно пронаћи оптималне начине заштите. Наше пређашње студије су показале да егзополисахарид изолован из соја Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGAN8 (EPS-AN8) показује висок афинитет за везивање јона кадмијума у воденом раствору и остварује значајан ниво in vitro заштите Caco-2 ћелија од његових токсичних ефеката. Имајући у виду да је за општу популацију најзаступљенији унос кадмијума исхраном, у овој студији је праћен паралелни ефекат уноса кадмијума (кроз воду) и EPS-AN8 (кроз храну) у DA пацовима. Након 30 дана третмана, утврђено је да је унос EPS-AN8 допринео сниженом нивоу депонованог метала у бубрезима, јетри и крви, а повећаном садржају у фекалном материјалу. Такође, микрографије дуоденума, бубрега и јетре су указале на ниже степене кадмијумом индукованих оштећења. Праћењем активности ензима који учествују у антиоксидативној заштити (CAT, GST), терминалних производа липидне пероксидације (MDA) и продукције проинфламаторних цитокина (IL-1β, TNFα, IFN-γ) у хомогенатима дуоденума, утврђен је нижи ниво оксидативног стреса и инфламације, што представља додатни показатељ заштите коју остварује EPS-AN8. С обзиром да орални унос кадмијума доводи до значајних промена у цревној микробиоти, изоловали смо тоталну DNK из дуоденума и секвенцирали 16S rDNK ампликон на Illumina NovaSeq платформи. Примећено је да унос EPS-AN8 ублажава појаву промена у релативној заступљености бактеријских родова и врста карактерисичних за излагање кадмијуму, попут пораста броја опортунистичких патогених бактерија и смањења бројности лактобацила. Остварени заштитни ефекти указују на снажан потенцијал примене EPS-AN8 у условима високе контаминације кадмијумом.Kadmijum je globalno prisutan toksični metal koji izaziva brojne štetne efekte u organizmu i zauzima sedmo mesto na listi prioritetnih supstanci od kojih je neophodno pronaći optimalne načine zaštite. Naše pređašnje studije su pokazale da egzopolisaharid izolovan iz soja Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGAN8 (EPS-AN8) pokazuje visok afinitet za vezivanje jona kadmijuma u vodenom rastvoru i ostvaruje značajan nivo in vitro zaštite Caco-2 ćelija od njegovih toksičnih efekata. Imajući u vidu da je za opštu populaciju najzastupljeniji unos kadmijuma ishranom, u ovoj studiji je praćen paralelni efekat unosa kadmijuma (kroz vodu) i EPS-AN8 (kroz hranu) u DA pacovima. Nakon 30 dana tretmana, utvrđeno je da je unos EPS-AN8 doprineo sniženom nivou deponovanog metala u bubrezima, jetri i krvi, a povećanom sadržaju u fekalnom materijalu. Takođe, mikrografije duodenuma, bubrega i jetre su ukazale na niže stepene kadmijumom indukovanih oštećenja. Praćenjem aktivnosti enzima koji učestvuju u antioksidativnoj zaštiti (CAT, GST), terminalnih proizvoda lipidne peroksidacije (MDA) i produkcije proinflamatornih citokina (IL-1β, TNFα, IFN-γ) u homogenatima duodenuma, utvrđen je niži nivo oksidativnog stresa i inflamacije, što predstavlja dodatni pokazatelj zaštite koju ostvaruje EPS-AN8. S obzirom da oralni unos kadmijuma dovodi do značajnih promena u crevnoj mikrobioti, izolovali smo totalnu DNK iz duodenuma i sekvencirali 16S rDNK amplikon na Illumina NovaSeq platformi. Primećeno je da unos EPS-AN8 ublažava pojavu promena u relativnoj zastupljenosti bakterijskih rodova i vrsta karakterističnih za ilaganje kadmijumu, poput porasta broja oportunističkih patogenih bakterija i smanjenja brojnosti laktobacila. Ostvareni zaštitni efekti ukazuju na snažan potencijal primene EPS-AN8 u uslovima visoke kontaminacije kadmijumom.Naučni skup Svetski dan imunologije 2023; 2023 Apr 27; Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; 2023

Orally Administrated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGAN8-Derived EPS-AN8 Ameliorates Cd Hazards in Rats

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic metal that is distributed worldwide. Exposure to it is correlated with a vast number of diseases and organism malfunctions. Exopolysaccharides (EPS) derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BGAN8, EPS-AN8, previously showed great potential for the in vitro protection of intestinal cells from this metal. Here, we investigated the potential of food supplemented with EPS-AN8 to protect rats from the hazardous effects of Cd exposure. After thirty days of exposure to lower (5 ppm) and higher (50 ppm)-Cd doses, the administration of EPS-AN8 led to decreased Cd content in the kidneys, liver, and blood compared to only Cd-treated groups, whereas the fecal Cd content was strongly enriched. In addition, EPS-AN8 reversed Cd-provoked effects on the most significant parameters of oxidative stress (MDA, CAT, GST, and GSH) and inflammation (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) in the duodenum. Moreover, micrographs of the duodenum were in line with these findings. As the gut microbiota has an important role in maintaining homeostasis, we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and investigated the effects of Cd and EPS-AN8 on one part of the microbiota presented in the duodenum. Although Cd decreased the growth of lactobacilli and mostly favored the blooming of opportunistic pathogen bacteria, parallel intake of EPS-AN8 reversed those changes. Therefore, our results imply that EPS-AN8 might be extremely noteworthy in combatting this toxic environmental pollutant

Risky Travel? Subjective vs. Objective Perceived Risks in Travel Behaviour—Influence of Hydro-Meteorological Hazards in South-Eastern Europe on Serbian Tourists

In terms of climate related security risks, the region of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) can be identified as one of the world’s hot spots. As weather-related hazards continue to increase in num-bers and spatial distribution, risk perception in the tourism industry becomes even more important. Additionally, people’s perception of natural hazards is one of the key elements in their decision-making process when choosing a travel destination. Although a vast number of studies have exam-ined aspects of risk perception, an integrated approach which considers both objective and subjec-tive factors related to the tourism industry and hydro-meteorological hazards remains relatively scarce. This pioneering study inspects the causality between objective perceived risks, as well as subjective risk factors. A methodological approach and the obtained results present a certain nov-elty since the previous conceptualized Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (PPDTS) was applied for the first time in the tourism industry. The obtained results reveal the pres-ence of a statistically significant relationship between objective risks and certain subjective risk fac-tors (gender, age, education, prior experience, anticipation, and awareness). Therefore, this study may offer a conceptual platform for both theoretical and practical implications for enhanced ap-proaches oriented toward more qualitative risk management at a given travel destination, in regions prone to hydro-meteorological hazards