PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY EFFLUENT AND ITS TOXICOLOGICAL IMPACT ON THE ACTIVITY OF ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE (AChE) IN FRESHWATER TELEOSTS Heteropneustes fossilis AND Labeo rohita

Industrijska revolucija je dobar pokazatelj gospodarskog razvoja države, međutim, može biti i prijetnja za floru i faunu ako se u prirodu ispuštaju nepročišćene otpadne vode industrije. Cilj ovog istraživanja je procijeniti toksikološke učinke pročišćenih i nepročišćenih industrijskih otpadnih voda na aktivnost acetilkolinesteraze (AChE) kod Heteropneustes fossilis i Labeo rohita, jestivih riba različitih karakteristika poput razlika u morfologiji, staništu, ishrani, itd. Analizirani su fizikalno-kemijski parametri otpadnih voda kao što su: pH, električna vodljivost (EC), alkalitet, tvrdoća, otopljeni kisik (DO), fosfati, sulfati, nitrati, slobodni amonijak, kloridi, cink, željezo, krom i kalij jer ti parametri nisu bili u rasponu prema ISO smjernicama. Vrijednost LC50 za nepročišćene vode iznosila je 2,34% (v/v) i 0,80% (v/v) tijekom 96 h kod H. fossilis i L. rohita. Smrtnost riba u obrađenim otpadnim vodama nije zabilježena. Tijekom izlaganja subletalnim koncentracijama (1/15, 1/(10 ), 1/5 LC50) kod obje vrste riba aktivnost AChE u metabolički osjetljivim organima (mozak, mišići, škrge) je bila smanjena. Daljnja istraživanja biokemijskih i molekularnih pokazatelja mogla bi približiti mehanizam njihovog djelovanja.Industrial revolution is a good indicator of economic development of a country; however, it can be a threat to the flora and fauna if the untreated effluent of an industry is discharged. The present study is aimed to assess the comparative toxicological impacts of treated and untreated industrial effluents on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in Heteropneustes fossilisand Labeo rohita, the most common edible fishes having diverse characters which include differences in morphology, habitat, food and feeding, etc. The physico-chemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, hardness, dissolved oxygen (DO), phosphate, sulphate, nitrate, free ammonia, chloride, zinc, iron, chromium and potassium of both untreated and treated effluent from the fertilizer industry were also analyzed as these parameters were not in range as per ISO guidelines. The LC50 value for untreated effluent was 2.34% (v/v) and 0.80% (v/v) for 96 h in H. fossilis and L. rohita, respectively, while no mortality was recorded in the treated effluent. The AChE activity in both fish species was found to decline in metabolically responsive organs like brain, muscle and gills through exposure to sub-lethal concentrations (1/15th, 1/10th and 1/5th of LC50 value) of the untreated effluent for 96 h. Further studies on biochemical and molecular aspects may reveal the mechanism of their action

HOMOLOGY MODELLING AND MOLECULAR DOCKING STUDY OF ORGANOPHOSPHATES AND PYRETHROIDS IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL TOXICITY

Objective: Though the adverse effects of pesticides used in agriculture may not immediately be visible in the human population however its long term exposure may cause detrimental effects by biomagnifications and bioaccumulation. Nowadays bioinformatics serves as an in silico tool not only for homology alignment but also for prediction of quaternary structures of biochemicals. The present study was aimed to compare the potential toxicities of triazophos and chlorpyrifos (organophosphates; OPs) and cypermethrin and deltamethrin (pyrethroids) and their interactions with cytochrome P450 functioning. Methods: The authors performed the BLAST for homology alignment for cytochrome P450 of human and Zebra fish and further proceeded for docking analysis of all the pesticides with cytochrome P450. Results: It was noted that 99% of query cover with 32% of homology in the sequences of cytochrome P450 between human and Zebra fish. Upon docking, the pesticide deltamethrin showed the highest interaction with cytochrome P450 with highest binding energy and least dissociation constant for Deltamethrin which was found to be 8.233 [kcal/mol] and 922849.687 [pM].Conclusion: Our preliminary results thus encompass/indicate that the deltamethrin is not only having detrimental effect on enzyme kinetics in general but also such similar effects be apprehended for human also

Enzymes of Earthworm as Indicators of Pesticide Pollution in Soil

Abstract The importance of the earthworms in the agricultural practices is well known. The increasing applications of pesticides and chemicals in the agricultural farms have adversely influenced the flora and fauna of the soil. Earthworms which immensely contribute in increasing the quality and fertility of agricultural soil are reported be worst hit organisms under such conditions. Recent reports have indicated growing interests among researchers to explore biochemical and molecular markers as indicators of accumulation of pollutants in the soil in general and pesticides in particular. The varying levels of several biomolecules in different parts of the earthworm have been reported which are indicative of sensitivity of the organisms to different xenobiotics. However, the existing information lacks the literature displaying stock of information regarding the impact of pesticides on the levels of some key enzymes regulating many crucial functions in the earthworm at one place. Keeping in view this issue, it was envisaged to bring out a mini review which illustrates updated information available on the impact of pesticides on the activities of certain key enzymes reported to be responsible for catalysing metabolic pathways concerning the neurotransmission system, energy metabolism, oxidative stress and amino acids metabolism in different body parts of the earthworms, a prospective bioindicators of pesticides contamination in the soil

Evaluation of acute toxicity of triazophos and deltamethrin and their inhibitory effect on AChE activity in Channa punctatus

Pesticides are applied to control the pests indoor and outdoor; however, their remarkable amount reaches to the aquatic system through various routes like run-off, leaching, spray-drift, effluent from factories. These are reported to have negative metabolic impact on different non-target aquatic organisms like fishes. Thus, present study is aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of two groups of pesticides, organophosphate and pyrethroid, namely triazophos and deltamethrin, respectively. The test was conducted for 96 h period in a freshwater teleost, Channa punctatus. The LC50 values for triazophos and deltamethrin after 96 h treatment was found to be 0.069 mg/L and 7.33 μg/L. The deltamethrin was found to be about ten times more toxic than triazophos to the fish. In treated fish, alterations in various behavioural patterns were observed with increasing concentrations of both the pesticides as compared to control. Further, tissue specific as well as dose dependent inhibition in the acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) activity was found in brain, muscle and gills in Channa punctatus exposed to both the insecticides. However, the effect was more pronounced in triazophos treated fishes than the deltamethrin. A futuristic approach on biochemical and molecular studies may throw light on the mechanism of action of these pesticides. Keywords: AChE, Behavioural pattern, Channa punctatus, Deltamethrin, LC50, Triazopho

Physicochemical Characteristics of Fertilizer Industry Effluent and its Toxicological Impact on the Activity of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in Freshwater Teleosts Heteropneustes fossilis and Labeo rohita

Industrial revolution is a good indicator of economic development of a country; however, it can be a threat to the flora and fauna if the untreated effluent of an industry is discharged. The present study is aimed to assess the comparative toxicological impacts of treated and untreated industrial effluents on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in Heteropneustes fossilis and Labeo rohita, the most common edible fishes having diverse characters which include differences in morphology, habitat, food and feeding, etc. The physico-chemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, hardness, dissolved oxygen (DO), phosphate, sulphate, nitrate, free ammonia, chloride, zinc, iron, chromium and potassium of both untreated and treated effluent from the fertilizer industry were also analyzed as these parameters were not in range as per ISO guidelines. The LC50 value for untreated effluent was 2.34% (v/v) and 0.80% (v/v) for 96 h in H. fossilis and L. rohita, respectively, while no mortality was recorded in the treated effluent. The AChE activity in both fish species was found to decline in metabolically responsive organs like brain, muscle and gills through exposure to sub-lethal concentrations (1/15th, 1/10th and 1/5th of LC50 value) of the untreated effluent for 96 h. Further studies on biochemical and molecular aspects may reveal the mechanism of their action

Influence of acclimation temperature on the induction of heat-shock protein 70 in the catfish Horabagrus brachysoma (Gunther)

Every organism responds to heat stress by synthesizing a group of evolutionarily conserved proteins called the heat-shock proteins (HSPs) that, by acting as molecular chaperones, protect the cell against the aggregation of denatured proteins and play a significant role in adaptation to temperature. The present study aimed to investigate the critical thermal maxima (CTMax) and the expression of HSP70 in different tissues (gill, brain, muscle and liver) of an endemic catfish Horabagrus brachysoma acclimated at either 20 or 30A degrees C for 30 days. To understand the HSP70 response, fish acclimated to the two temperatures were exposed to preset temperatures (26, 30, 34, 36 and 38A degrees C for 20A degrees C acclimated fish and 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40A degrees C for 30A degrees C acclimated fish) for 2 h, followed by 1 h recovery at their respective acclimation temperatures. The HSP70 levels in the gill, brain, muscle and liver tissues were determined by Western blotting of one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in the CTMax values was observed for fish acclimated at 30A degrees C (41.86 +/- A 0.39A degrees C) than those acclimated at 20A degrees C (39.13 +/- A 0.18A degrees C). HSP70 was detected in all the tissues with the highest level in the liver followed by intermediate levels in muscle and brain, and lowest level in gill tissue, irrespective of the acclimation temperatures (20 or 30A degrees C). The HSP70 levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the tissues of fish acclimated at 30A degrees C than those acclimated at 20A degrees C. The mean induction temperature of HSP70 in all the tissues of fish acclimated at either 20 or 30A degrees C was 30 and 34A degrees C, respectively. The optimum temperature for HSP70 induction in all the tissues of fish acclimated at 20A degrees C was 36A degrees C, whereas for fish acclimated at 30A degrees C was 36A degrees C for gill and 38A degrees C for brain, muscle and liver. Decreased levels of HSP70 were noted in all the tissues of fish when exposed to temperatures that exceeded the optimum temperatures for HSP70 inductions. Overall results indicated that acclimation temperature influences both temperature tolerance and induction of HSP70 in H. brachysoma

Root gravitropism requires lateral root cap and epidermal cells for transport and response to a mobile auxin signal

Re-orientation of Arabidopsis seedlings induces a rapid, asymmetric release of the growth regulator auxin from gravity-sensing columella cells at the root apex. The resulting lateral auxin gradient is hypothesized to drive differential cell expansion in elongation-zone tissues. We mapped those root tissues that function to transport or respond to auxin during a gravitropic response. Targeted expression of the auxin influx facilitator AUX1 demonstrated that root gravitropism requires auxin to be transported via the lateral root cap to all elongating epidermal cells. A three-dimensional model of the root elongation zone predicted that AUX1 causes the majority of auxin to accumulate in the epidermis. Selectively disrupting the auxin responsiveness of expanding epidermal cells by expressing a mutant form of the AUX/IAA17 protein, axr3-1, abolished root gravitropism. We conclude that gravitropic curvature in Arabidopsis roots is primarily driven by the differential expansion of epidermal cells in response to an influx-carrier-dependent auxin gradient