Impact of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Male Reproductive System: A Comprehensive Review

Technological advancements and increased use of chemically hazardous materials have become a concern for human health. Environmental pollutants such as engineered metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (M&MONPs) are reported to contribute to significant health-related problems, particularly reproductive health. Reduction in male individuals' reproductive potential is one of the important causes of concern. Literature suggests that exposure to M&MONPs considerably impacts alteration in male reproductive parameters. Therefore, it is required to analyze and understand their effects on male reproductive toxicity. Oxidative stress and changes in redox equilibrium are the significant factors via M&MONPs induce changes in sperm parameters or the reproductive system. Act as endocrine disruptors and interfere with the secretion and function of reproductive hormones such as testosterone and LH, affecting spermatogenesis. Likewise, M&MONPs accumulate in organs as they can pass through the blood-testis barrier, affect Sertoli and Leydig cells, and cause reproductive dysfunction. In this review, we have analyzed the effects of M&MONPs on the male reproductive system and the underlying mechanism of actio

Cytotoxic and genotoxic assessment of wastewater on HEK293 cell line

558-564The increasing industrialisation and urbanisation have deteriorated the quality and quantity of water bodies, harming the surrounding flora and fauna. Therefore, in our studies, we have chosen the HEK293 cell line to examine further the level of wastewater toxicity to which living beings are exposed. The water samples were collected from various sites around the Agra Canal in the Faridabad region of Haryana. Furthermore, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity confirmation of wastewater samples were done by MTT and comet assay, respectively. The water quality of the Agra canal is heavily influenced by agricultural, domestic, and industrial waste, which may affect the genetic material of species exposed to contaminated water and the sustainability of the local environment. As a result, continuous environmental monitoring and proper policy formulation are required to minimise the adverse effects of pollutants in waste, which would further enrich India’s preparation to take India a step ahead, and that could be the best possible way to commemorate India’s 75th year of Independence with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

Municipal solid waste landfill leachate induced cytotoxicity in root tips of Vicia faba: Environmental Risk posed by non-engineered landfill

Landfills are considered the main option for dumping of municipal solid waste (MSW) all over the world, but these landfills are mostly non-engineered. The decomposition of solid waste in the landfill and rainwater penetration into the decomposing waste produces leachate that contains dissolved organic and inorganic compounds, heavy metals, suspended particles, and hazardous substances. Leachate migration in the environment may pose serious health risks to organisms exposed. Hence, the present study explored the cytotoxic potential of landfill leachate collected in different seasons from the Okhla landfill site, Delhi, India. Cytotoxicity of leachate samples was evaluatedby cell apoptosis and ultrastructural observation based on Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of the cells of root tips of vicia faba seedlings treated with the leachates collected in summer, winter and monsoon in a time and dose dependent manner. Leachate collected in all the three seasons induced apoptosis in cells of root tips of vicia faba that increased in a time and dose dependent manner when compared to control. The apoptosis was highest in the samples treated with leachate collected in the summer season, followed by winter and monsoon. It was further confirmed with TEM images that there was induction of apoptotic-like morphological changes in the root cells treated with landfill leachate when compared with the control. The present study indicates that municipal solid waste leachate is very toxic and it should be treated before disposing it to the environment

ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF SALIX AEGYPTIACA BARK EXTRACT ATTRIBUTE TO ITS ANTICANCER EFFICACY

Salix aegyptiaca has been used traditionally from the ancient time for its beneficial effects. The protective action of this plant is not well understood so far. Oxidative stress and inflammation are generally linked with carcinogenesis. In the present study, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of hydroethanolic bark extract of Salix aegyptiaca have been studied. The results of DPPH assay indicated the free radical scavenging ability of the bark extract (2-20 µg/ml). The inhibition of ˙OH radical induced damage of pBR322 plasmid DNA by the extract (20 µg/ml) depicted its antioxidant property. This bark extract (5-800 µg/ml) exhibited the anti-inflammatory activity against heat induced protein denaturation. The medicinal property of S. aegyptiaca could be attributed to its free radicals scavenging ability and anti-inflammatory activity. Further, the extract (5-40 µg/ml) has shown anticancer activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. However, the underlying mechanisms related to its anticancer effect need to be explored. Keywords: Salix aegyptiaca, antioxidants, inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma

GC-MS PROFILING, CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, ANTIOXIDANT, Α-AMYLASE AND Α-GLUCOSIDASE INHIBITION OF SELECTED SEAWEEDS FROM SOUTHEAST COAST OF INDIA: AN IN VITRO APPROACH

The present study focuses on in vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity of three different solvent extracts (Methanol, Ethyl acetate and Hexane) of 3 different seaweeds viz: Sargassum wightii, Caulerpa racemosa, and Acanthophora spicifera. The preliminary phytochemical analyses of the seaweed extracts have revealed the presence of various phytochemicals. The antioxidant activities of the seaweed extracts have shown the scavenging effect. Among the extracts, SWEA, SWME and SWHE have exerted effective antioxidant activity with the IC50 values (µg/mL) of: 32.86, 130.1 and 212.8, respectively. And similar trend of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity/inhibitory property by seaweeds have been recorded. Hence, the ethyl acetate extract of S. wightii was subjected to gas chromatography. All the seaweed extracts were characterized through HPLC and, FTIR analyses. The GC-MS analysis of ethyl acetate extract of S. wightii showed the presence of a bioactive compound, Heptadecanoic acid that might be have been the reason for the recorded inhibitory activity. Keywords: Seaweeds, Sargassum wightii, DPPH, Column chromatography, GC-MS

Comprehensive Assessment of the Antioxidant and Anticancer Potential of Selected Ethnobotanical Plants

Globally, among different types of cancers, breast cancer is identified as the chief cause of mortality among females, and it is a challenge to find new effective treatment strategies with minimal side effects and increased efficacy. Plants are an integral part of the traditional indigenous healthcare system and are becoming the concrete source of new drug discovery. Thus, there is a need to obtain a scientific basis for applying traditionally used plants in cancer treatments that may harbour novel phytochemicals. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the antioxidant and anticancer potential of selected plants of ethnobotanical importance. Five plants of ethnobotanical importance were selected and screened to determine their antioxidant potential through various in vitro free radical scavenging assays (such as DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl, and superoxide radical scavenging), ferric chelation, and total antioxidant potential, and the total phenolic and flavonoid content was estimated for the selected plants. In contrast, the anticancer potential of crude plant extracts was assessed using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) against different breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-435S) and hepatic cancer cell lines (HepG2), and human PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) were used for toxicity studies. The MTT results showed that among all of the crude plant extracts (CAN = Etlingera linguiformis, SES = Sesbania grandiflora, LEX = Smilax ovalifolia, DES = Desmodium triflorum, and CA = Chenopodium album), it was CAN and LEX that showed the best cytotoxic potential on exposed breast cancer cell lines in contrast to SES, DES, and CA. In addition, at the selected dosages that were exposed to breast cancer cells, none of the extracts from any of the five plants showed any cytotoxicity against human PBMCs. Thus, the crude extracts can be explored further for chemopreventive and anticancer activity on murine models to understand their underlying mechanism for effective cancer management

Chemoprotective influence of <i style="">Zanthoxylum</i> sps. on hepatic carcinogen metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes and skin papillomagenesis in murine model

857-863In the present study, the putative potential of pericarp of dried fruit of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae Family), a common spice additive in India’s west coast cuisines, in protecting against carcinogenesis has been reported. Extract from dried fruit of Zanthoxylum was orally administered to mice at two dose levels: 100 and 200 mg/kg body wt. for 14 days. Results reveal bifunctional nature of Zanthoxylum species as deduced from its potential to induce phase-I and phase-II enzyme activities associated with carcinogen activation and detoxification in the liver of mice. Hepatic glutathione S-transferase and DT-diaphorase were found significantly elevated by the treatment. Zanthoxylum was also effective in augmenting the antioxidant enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase albeit significantly by high dose of the extract (PP<0.01). Reduced glutathione was also significantly elevated in the liver of treated animals (P<0.05). The present study also investigated peri-initiation application of acetone extract of Zanthoxylum on initiated mouse skin. Results showed a significant reduction in tumor incidence from 68% to 36% (P<0.05); as well as, a reduction in tumor burden per effective mouse from 3.87 to 0.72 (P<0.01). Cumulatively, the findings strongly suggest cancer chemo-preventive potential of Zanthoxylum sps

Recent innovations of nanotechnology in water treatment: A comprehensive review

Environmental pollution from organic and inorganic pollutants poses a threat to the ecosystem. Pollutant's prevalence and persistence have increased significantly in recent years. In order to enhance the quality of naturally accessible water to a level suitable for human consumption, a number of techniques have been employed. In this context, the use of cutting-edge nanotechnology to classical process engineering paves the way for technical encroachments in advanced water and wastewater technology. Nanotechnology has the potential to ameliorate the quality, availability, and viability of water supplies in the long run by facilitating reuse, recycling and remediation of water. The promising role of nanotechnology in wastewater remediation is highlighted in this paper, which also covers current advancements in nanotechnology-mediated remediation systems. Moreover, nano-based materials such as nano-adsorbents, photocatalysts, nano-metals and nanomembranes are discussed in this review of recent breakthroughs in nanotechnologies for water contaminant remediation. © 2021 Elsevier Lt

Cytotoxic and genotoxic assessment of wastewater on HEK293 cell line

The increasing industrialisation and urbanisation have deteriorated the quality and quantity of water bodies, harming the surrounding flora and fauna. Therefore, in our studies, we have chosen the HEK293 cell line to examine further the level of wastewater toxicity to which living beings are exposed. The water samples were collected from various sites around the Agra Canal in the Faridabad region of Haryana. Furthermore, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity confirmation of wastewater samples were done by MTT and comet assay, respectively. The water quality of the Agra canal is heavily influenced by agricultural, domestic, and industrial waste, which may affect the genetic material of species exposed to contaminated water and the sustainability of the local environment. As a result, continuous environmental monitoring and proper policy formulation are required to minimise the adverse effects of pollutants in waste, which would further enrich India’s preparation to take India a step ahead, and that could be the best possible way to commemorate India’s 75th year of Independence with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav