Dry Wt Research Articles

Characterization and Interpolation of Sediment Polychlorinated Biphenylsand Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethersin Resident Killer Whale Habitat along the Coast of British Columbia, Canada.

The northeastern Pacific northern and southern resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations are listed as threatened and endangered in Canada, respectively, with persistent, bioaccumulative contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), posing threats to their recovery. Concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in subtidal surface sediments collected from 97 sites along the British Columbia (BC) coast were used to identify their distribution and profiles, and to assess killer whale habitat quality. Victoria Harbour (VH3(site ID: 1) ) sediments exhibited the highest PCB and PBDE concentrations. For PCBs, PCB-138 was found at the highest concentration, followed by PCB-153, PCB-110, PCB-149, PCB-101, and PCB-118. For PBDEs, individual congeners were ranked as follows: BDE-209 > BDE-207 > BDE-206 > BDE-208 > BDE-47 > BDE-99. Principal component analyses (PCA) illustrated the variations in contaminant profiles, with PC1 for PCBs and PBDEs correlated with the octanol-water partition coefficient (log KOW , p < 0.003). Based on the PCA, sediment particle size, total organic carbon (TOC), and water depth at collection were other factors associated with the distribution of PBDEs, while PCB profiles were associated with TOC. Total PCB and PBDE concentrations at 100% and 34% of the sites, respectively, exceeded the recently adopted British Columbia's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy Working Sediment Quality Guidelines (PCBs 3.7 pg/g dry wt and PBDEs 1000 pg/g dry wt), considered protective of killer whales. Our findings suggest that the legacy of banned PCBs and PBDEs has the potential to constrain the recovery of killer whales as a result of their mobilization from sediments and consequent uptake by marine food webs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2139-2151. © 2022 SETAC.

Response of Amaranthus tricolor to cesium stress in hydroponic system: Growth, photosynthesis and cesium accumulation

Remediation of the cesium-contaminated environment is of paramount importance, and phytoremediation is a cost-effective and green technique. In this paper, the response of Amaranthus tricolor to cesium ions in hydroponic solution was investigated at various cesium concentration (0, 0.05, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mM), in terms of the growth weight, height and photosynthesis. The maximal Cs content in stems and leaves of A. tricolor was 13.05 mg/g dry wt under spiked Cs level of 0.4 mM in solution. The maximal transfer factor (TF) and bioconcentration factor (BCF) were 1.87 and 181.25 respectively, when the corresponding Cs content in roots and shoots was 7.04 mg/g and 13.05 mg/g dry wt respectively. TFs are higher than 1 in the conditions of normal plant growth. The growth of A. tricolor was enhanced after the treatment of Cs at low concentrations (0.05 and 0.2 mM), while it was inhibited at 0.4 and 0.6 mM. The leaf number and dry weight of stem, leaf parts and root parts were maximum at the spiked cesium level of 0.2 mM, which significantly increased by 19.19%, 47.56% and 94.56% respectively, compared with the control samples. Under 0.6 mM cesium stress, curl and withering of the leaves occurred, and the plant growth and cesium accumulation dropped to the minimum. Cs at the spiked level of 0.6 mM in solution inhibited the performance of PSII, especially in terms of blockage in electron transfer process beyond QA and restraint of P700 reduction. On contrast, the performance of PSII was enhanced by the spiked Cs at level of 0.2 mM, leading to the growing density of reaction centers per excited cross-section and increasing electron transfer process beyond QA. In summary, A. tricolor has potential for remediating the Cs-contaminated environment.

UHPLC assessment of embelin in specialized mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum (L) Blanco

BackgroundEmbelin is one of the biologically charming natural benzoquinones with wide medicament use in therapeutics that is pertained to its unique biochemical structure. Mostly, the plants belonging to Myrsinaceae family especially the fruits of genus Embelia are rich source of embelin. However, the colossal use of these plants as an active ingredient in several drug formulations has led toward their decrease population number increasing the threat status. This major issue requires a well-versed scientific approach to search for suitable alternative substitute that can be used as an active embelin source. On this panorama, Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) Blanco can be used as alternate source of embelin. On this aspect, all the plant parts (root, stem bark, leaf and fruit) are being estimated for embelin content both qualitatively and quantitatively using spectrophotometric and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) methods and also asserted through histochemical analysis. All the aforesaid plant parts are extracted through Soxhlet and water bath methods separately and analyzed for embelin content after isolation through column chromatography and thin layer chromatography.ResultsFrom results, it was evaluated that all plant parts showed the presence of embelin in a range of 0.17–1.95% dry wt. through UHPLC method, while the highest content was found in fruit followed by root, bark and leaves. The retention time for embelin was found to be 2.7 min.ConclusionsFrom the above experimentation, both vegetative and reproductive parts of A. corniculatum have shown the presence of embelin that can be utilized in ample amount so as to reduce the threat status of its primary source.

In vitro antioxidant activity and selenium content of some important wild edible plants from arid zone

Inverse relationship is seen between dietary intake of antioxidant-rich foods and incidence of number of human diseases. They play an important role in chemoprevention of diseases viz., cancer, AIDS, arthritis, osteoporosis, CNS injury. There are a number of local foods from arid zone of Rajasthan used traditionally which may have potential positive effects on health but antioxidant properties of edible wild plants have not been determined. Present study is an attempt to explore some of the promising wild edible plant resources of arid zone of Rajasthan for their antioxidant potential by studying their DPPH activity and selenium content. The antioxidant activity of the selected plant species determined by DPPH assay was found to vary from 38.99 to 89.48% . The selenium content in the selected wild edible plants varied from 2.53 μg/g (Grewia tenax) to 3.49 μg/g (Leptadenia reticulata) on dry wt basis. The antioxidant values and selenium content values suggest that these plants can be used as supplementary food . Studies are however needed to study the effect of cooking, processing, geographical variation and in vivo trials.

Potential of Ulvan Polysaccharide from Ulva lactuca as Antifungal Against Some Foodborne Fungi Isolated from Spoiled Tomato Sauce Cans

ABSTRACT The extracts from Ulva lactuca have biological and nutritional values. The protein was 48.7 mg/g dry wt, soluble carbohydrate 43.9 mg/g dry wt, insoluble carbohydrate was 223 mg/g dry wt and lipid was 18.3 mg/g dry wt. Maximum antifungal activities of U. lactuca were observed with ulvan extract. The most predominant fungi in spoiled tomato sauce cans were Aspergillus flavus (33.6%), Rhizopus stolonifer (26.8%), and Fusarium oxysporium (22.3%). The minimal fungicidal inhibition concentration of ulvan extract against A. flavus and R. stolonifer were 10 mM and 15 mM, respectively. The colony deactivation of A. flavus and R. stolonifer by ulvan extract occurred was 91% and 89%, respectively, at 25 C after 72 h, but the deactivation occurred at 100% after 24 h at 4°C. Results affirmed the damaging effect on both tested fungal spores’ walls and intercellular components. So, ulvan polysaccharide can be used as a natural preservative for raw or processed tomato sauce to increase its shelf life.

Influences of hardening agent on some physical and mechanical properties of medium-density fiberboard

Effects of Ammonium chloride (NH4CI) as a hardening agent on thickness swelling (TS), water absorption (WA), screw holding resistance (SHR), Janka hardness, modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and internal bonding (IB) properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) were evaluated. Target densities were 712 and 715 kg/m³ for hardener applied (0.75 kg/m³ solid as 10% solution (fiber dry wt.)) and unmodified factory made 18 mm thick MDF, respectively. A total of 400 samples were tested. Boards produced without hardener presented better mechanical properties except for SHR. Indeed, SHR was around 9.2% improved by hardener utilization. However, hardener utilization caused around 8.4%, 7.3%, 3.6%, and 1.3% decreases for MOE, MOR, IB, and Janka hardness, respectively. Surprisingly, soaking time caused opposite results for TS and WA. The TS and WA of the hardener utilized MDF decreased around 40.3% and 29.6% for short-term soaking (2h) but remarkable increases (around 62.4% and 20%, respectively) were observed for long-term (24h) soaking. Statistical analysis proved that there were statistically significant (P&amp;lt;0.05) differences between all the evaluated properties.

Phytochemical investigation of Helianthemum lippii l. aerial Dum.Cours part and evaluation for its antioxidant activities

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the phytochemical contents and the antioxidant activity of Helianthemum lippii (L.) Dum.Cours. crude extract. Methods: For preliminary phytochemical analysis, standard procedures were applied, while identification and quantification of individual phenolic compounds were performed by HPLC analysis. The Folin–Ciocalteu method was used to evaluate the total phenolic acid content of the plant extracts, The total flavonoid content was determined using the aluminum chloride colorimetric assay. The FTIR spectroscopy method was used to examine the chemical makeup of the organic extracts. The antioxidant activities were assessed using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and reducing power assays. Results: Chemical analysis revealed the presence of numerous secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, anthocyanins, cardiac glycosides, leuco anthocyanins steroids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and mucilage. For the HPLC analysis, we obtained 65 peaks and we identified 6 major elements of bioactive compounds. The total concentration of polyphenols and flavonoids was varied respectively 183.12±2.84 mg gallic acid eq/g dry wt and 72.00±1.03 mg quercetin eq/g dry wt /mg. The general concentration of condensed tannin and hydrolyzable tannin compounds were expressed in terms of catechin equivalent (5.88±1.58 mg Ca eq/g dry extract) and gallic acid (2.818±0.138 mgTA eq/g dry wt) respectively. FTIR spectroscopy investigation indicated several characteristic peak values in the extract with diverse functional groups such as amide, alcohol, and phenol groups. Concerning the antioxidant activity, we found that this extract has high inhibitory percentages equivalent to IC50 3.085±0.001 for DPPH and 1.724±0.021 for reduction power (µg/mL). Conclusion: Our study proved that the aqueous extract of the H lippii is very rich in secondary metabolites; in addition, it has a tremendous anti-oxidant capacity, which leads us forward to introduce it for medical use.

Reduced concentrations and toxicity of sediment-associated pesticides from vegetable planting field to surrounding waterways: Impacts of chemical properties and intrinsic toxicity

Pesticides from agricultural activities transfer to surrounding waterways, jeopardizing aquatic ecosystem. To better characterize transfer of pesticide residues and toxicity, a batch of pesticides were analyzed in 22 sediment samples collected from the ditches (< 5 m away from field) and receiving streams nearby a vegetable planting area, South China. Sum concentrations of pesticides in ditch sediments (152 ± 121 ng/g dry wt.) were higher than those in stream sediments (24.9 ± 14.9 ng/g dry wt.). Toxicity reduction from ditch to stream was different for two invertebrates. Stream sediment toxicity to Chironomus dilutus decreased considerably but elevated toxicity was still observed (50% mortality on average), while stream sediments exhibited no significant lethality to Hyallela azteca (< 10% mortality). Fipronil and its transformation products (FIPs) were responsible for sediment toxicity to the midges, and pyrethroids contributed significantly to the death of the amphipods. Hydrophobic pyrethroids were tended to stay in the ditches, whereas FIPs were detected in stream sediments at considerable concentrations due their possible transfer to the nearby streams and/or residential use. This physicochemical property-related transfer characteristics and intrinsic toxicity of the major toxicants explained the distinct toxicity reduction patterns for the two species, which highlighted their importance in assessing aquatic transfer and risk of agriculture derived pesticides.

Increased Mercury and Reduced Insect Diversity in Linked Stream-Riparian Food Webs Downstream of a Historical Mercury Mine.

Historical mining left a legacy of abandoned mines and waste rock in remote headwaters of major river systems in the western United States. Understanding the influence of these legacy mines on culturally and ecologically important downstream ecosystems is not always straightforward because of elevated natural levels of mineralization in mining-impacted watersheds. To test the ecological effects of historic mining in the headwaters of the upper Salmon River watershed in Idaho (USA), we measured multiple community and chemical endpoints in downstream linked aquatic-terrestrial food webs. Mining inputs impacted downstream food webs through increased mercury accumulation and decreased insect biodiversity. Total mercury (THg) in seston, aquatic insect larvae, adult aquatic insects, riparian spiders, and fish at sites up to 7.6 km downstream of mining was found at much higher concentrations (1.3-11.3-fold) and was isotopically distinct compared with sites immediately upstream of mining inputs. Methylmercury concentrations in bull trout and riparian spiders were sufficiently high (732-918 and 347-1140 ng MeHg g-1 dry wt, respectively) to affect humans, birds, and piscivorous fish. Furthermore, the alpha-diversity of benthic insects was locally depressed by 12%-20% within 4.3-5.7 km downstream from the mine. However, because total insect biomass was not affected by mine inputs, the mass of mercury in benthic insects at a site (i.e., ng Hg m-2 ) was extremely elevated downstream (10-1778-fold) compared with directly upstream of mining inputs. Downstream adult aquatic insect-mediated fluxes of THg were also high (~16 ng THg m-2 day-1 ). Abandoned mines can have ecologically important effects on downstream communities, including reduced biodiversity and increased mercury flux to higher order consumers, including fish, birds, and humans. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1696-1710. Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Effects of Polyester Fibers and Car Tire Particles on Freshwater Invertebrates.

Microplastic ingestion has been shown for various organisms, but knowledge of the potential adverse effects on freshwater invertebrates remains limited. We assessed the ingestion capacity and the associated effects of polyester fibers (26–5761 µm) and car tire particles (25–75 µm) on freshwater invertebrates under acute and chronic exposure conditions. A range of microplastic concentrations was tested on Daphnia magna, Hyalella azteca, Asellus aquaticus, and Lumbriculus variegatus using water only (up to 0.15 g/L) or spiked sediment (up to 2 g/kg dry wt), depending on the habitat of the species. Daphnia magna did not ingest any fibers, but low levels of fibers were ingested by all tested benthic invertebrate species. Car tire particle ingestion rose with increasing exposure concentration for all tested invertebrates and was highest in D. magna and L. variegatus. In most cases, no statistically significant effects on mobility, survival, or reproductive output were observed after acute and chronic exposure at the tested concentrations. However, fibers affected the reproduction and survival of D. magna (no‐observed‐effect concentration [NOEC]: 0.15 mg/L) due to entanglement and limited mobility under chronic conditions. Car tire particles affected the reproduction (NOEC: 1.5 mg/L) and survival (NOEC: 0.15 mg/L) of D. magna after chronic exposure at concentrations in the same order of magnitude as modeled river water concentrations, suggesting that refined exposure and effect studies should be performed with these microplastics. Our results confirm that microplastic ingestion by freshwater invertebrates depends on particle shape and size and that ingestion quantity depends on the exposure pathway and the feeding strategy of the test organism. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1555–1567. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Leaf consumption and experimental discrimination of stable isotopes between mangrove leaves and the tree-climbing crab (Brachyura: Sesarmidae: Aratus pisonii)

The mangrove tree-climbing crab Aratus pisonii (Sesarmidae) is one of the most abundant and iconic arboreal brachyurans in the Neotropics. Despite being traditionally regarded as an herbivorous consumer leaving visible rasping marks on Rhizophora mangle leaves, gut content analyses, field observations and experimental feeding trials also suggest facultative omnivory. In addition, there are still questions regarding the nutritional challenge of leaf consumption, particularly whether the relatively nutrient-poor mangrove leaf litter is assimilated when offered as the sole component of the diet. This study aimed to: 1) experimentally compare consumption rates of fresh (green) and senescent (yellow) Rhizophora mangle leaves during a 26 d experiment; 2) estimating stable isotope trophic discrimination of carbon and nitrogen between leaves and muscle tissue after a 58 d controlled feeding experiment with A. pisonii from the Southwestern Caribbean Sea (Atrato River Delta, Colombia). A. pisonii consumed a total of 17.11 ± 20.75 mg leaf dry wt (g crab wet wt) −1 d−1 of R. mangle leaves during the experimental trial. However, the consumption was greater for green leaves (12.05 ± 13.07 mg) than for yellow leaves (5.06 ± 13.85 mg). Our experimental estimates of mean ± SD TDFs (trophic discrimination factors) were Δ13C 5.4 ± 0.9‰ and Δ15N 3.9 ± 0.5‰, close to those suggested for other sesarmid crabs. These results can be used in future estuarine food webs studies from Neotropical mangrove habitats, and provide new insights into the importance of A. pisonii as a key herbivore converting low-quality mangrove material into nutritious secondary production (biomass), potentially linking primary producers with intermediate and top predators (both aquatic and terrestrial).

Stable silicon isotopes uncover a mineralogical control on the benthic silicon cycle in the Arctic Barents Sea

Biogeochemical cycling of silicon (Si) in the Barents Sea is under considerable pressure from physical and chemical changes, including dramatic warming and sea ice retreat, together with a decline in dissolved silicic acid (DSi) concentrations of Atlantic inflow waters since 1990. Associated changes in the community composition of phytoplankton blooms will alter the material comprising the depositional flux, which will subsequently influence recycling processes at and within the seafloor. In this study we assess the predominant controls on the early diagenetic cycling of Si, a key nutrient in marine ecosystems, by combining stable isotopic analysis (δ30Si) of pore water DSi and of operationally defined reactive pools of the solid phase. We show that low biogenic silica (BSi) contents (0.26–0.52 wt% or 92–185 μmol g dry wt−1) drive correspondingly low asymptotic concentrations of pore water DSi of ∼100 μM, relative to biosiliceous sediments (>20 wt% BSi) wherein DSi can reach ∼900 μM. While Barents Sea surface sediments appear almost devoid of BSi, we present evidence for the rapid recycling of bloom derived BSi that generates striking transient peaks in sediment pore water [DSi] of up to 300 μM, which is a feature that is subject to future shifts in phytoplankton community compositions. Using a simple isotopic mass balance calculation we show that at two of three stations the pore water DSi pool at 0.5 cm below the seafloor (+0.96 to +1.36 ‰) is sourced from the mixing of core top waters (+1.46 to +1.69 ‰) with the dissolution of BSi (+0.82 to +1.50 ‰), supplemented with a lithogenic Si source (LSi) (−0.89 ±0.16‰). Further, our sediment pore water δ30Si profiles uncover a coupling of the Si cycle with the redox cycling of metal oxides associated with isotopically light Si (−2.88 ±0.17‰). We suggest that a high LSi:BSi ratio and apparent metal oxide influence could lead to a degree of stability in the annual background benthic flux of DSi, despite current pressures on pelagic phytoplankton communities. Coupled with supporting isotopic evidence for the precipitation of authigenic clays in Barents Sea sediment cores, our observations have implications for the regional Si budget.

Are There Longitudinal Effects of Forest Harvesting on Carbon Quality and Flow and Methylmercury Bioaccumulation in Primary Consumers of Temperate Stream Networks?

Forest harvesting affects dissolved organic matter (DOM) and aqueous mercury inputs as well as the food web structure in small-headwater streams, but how these upstream changes manifest downstream is unclear. To address this uncertainty, we examined DOM quality, autochthony in the caddisfly Hydropsychidae (using δ2 H), and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in stream water and the caddisfly along a longitudinal gradient (first- to fourth-order streams, subcatchments of 50-1900 ha) in paired partially harvested and reference catchments in central Ontario, Canada. Although measures of DOM quality (specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm 2.20-11.62) and autochthony in caddisflies (4.9%-34.0%) varied among sites, no upstream-to-downstream differences in these measures were observed between the paired harvested and reference catchments. In contrast, MeHg levels in stream water (0.06-0.35 ng/L) and caddisflies(29.7-192 µg/kg dry wt) were significantly higher in the upstream sites but not the farthest downstream sites in the harvested catchments compared to the reference catchments. This suggests that while current mitigation measures used by forestry companies did not prevent elevated MeHg in water and invertebrates at smaller spatial scales (subcatchments of 50-400 ha), these upstream impacts did not manifest at larger spatial scales (subcatchments of 800-1900 ha). The present study advances our understanding of spatially cumulative impacts within harvested catchments, which is critical to help forest managers maintain healthy forest streams and their provisioning of aquatic ecosystem services. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1490-1507. © 2022 SETAC.

Element Contamination and Probable Ecological Concern in Surface Sediments of the Black Sea’s Iğneada Coasts

Enrichments of metals in surface sediments from Iğneada shores of the Black Sea were analysed to define the level of contamination in the region. For this purposes, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Mn, Al and Fe levels in surface sediments were studied from 6 stations. Sediment samples were collected using a Van Veen grab. Elemental analyses in sediments were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations of metals varied from 0.031 to 0.091 for Cd; 0.025 to 0.064 for Hg; 3.32 to 7.88 for Pb; 5.75 to 13.42 for Cu; 25.63 to 40.07 for Cr; 14.8 to 28.2 for Ni; 18.29 to 33.21 for Zn; 268 to 377 for Mn; 10,987 to 17,101 for Al; and 11,521 to 20,700 mg·kg₋1 for Fe mg·kg₋1 dry wt. Metal levels were found to be much lower than recommended levels when compared to Sediment Quality Criteria for surface sediments. Enrichment Factors (EF), Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were applied to the data for assessing the sediment quality. EF values were nearly between 0.33 and 2.4. Mostly EF for metals were less than 2, may be come from natural weathering processes or crustal substances, indicate no enrichment. However, some results of EF values slightly exceeding 2 indicate moderate enrichment. These rates aren’t thought to be important. Igeo values for all metals were less than 0 at all stations, suggesting that the Iğneada shores was uncontaminated by these studied metals. PLI values ranged from 0.410 in station I to 0.747 in station IV, indicating that Iğneada shores in the Black Sea were less impacted by these metals. PLI value for zone was found as 0.553665002. The Igeo and PLI values also suggest that surface sediments in Iğneada shores of the Black Sea is uncontaminated. &#x0D; HIGHLIGHTS&#x0D; &#x0D; Metal enrichments in surface sediments from the Black Sea coasts of İğneada were studied to determine the level of contamination in the area&#x0D; EF values less than or equal to 2 indicate that there is no contamination, and that the concentration is within the natural background prediction range. Only the EF values for Cr and Ni were between 2 and 5, indicating moderate enrichment&#x0D; The Igeo analyses revealed that the İğneada shores sediments were unpolluted for all studied metal levels at all stations&#x0D; All PLI values in the stations were between 0 and 1, indicating that İğneada shores were less impacted by these metals&#x0D; &#x0D; GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Influence of Irradiance and Wavelength on the Antioxidant Activity and Carotenoids Accumulation in Muriellopsis sp. Isolated from the Antofagasta Coastal Desert.

Microalgae are a valuable natural resource for a variety of biocompounds such as carotenoids. The use of different light spectra and irradiance has been considered as a promising option to improve the production of these compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different wavelengths (white, red, and blue) and irradiances (80 and 350 µmol photons/m2/s) on the photosynthetic state, total carotenoids and lutein productivity (HPLC), lipids (Nile red method) and antioxidant activity (DPPH) of the microalgae Muriellopsis sp. (MCH-35). This microalga, which is a potential source of lutein, was isolated from the coastal desert of Antofagasta, Chile, and adapted to grow in seawater. The results indicate that the culture exposed to high-intensity red light showed the highest biomass yield (2.5 g/L) and lutein productivity (>2.0 mg L−1day−1). However, blue light was found to have a stimulating effect on the synthesis of lutein and other carotenoids (>0.8% dry wt). Furthermore, a direct relationship between lipid accumulation and high light intensity was evidenced. Finally, the highest antioxidant activity was observed with high-intensity white light, these values have no direct relationship with lutein productivity. Therefore, the findings of this study could be utilized to obtain biocompounds of interest by altering certain culture conditions during the large-scale cultivation of MCH-35.

Studies on transfer coefficient from grass to milk for 137 Cs and 40 K at Kakrapar Gujarat site, India

Transfer coefficient from grass to milk (Fm) for 137Cs and 40K was computed based on the activity measurement data in the respective matrix at Kakrapar Gujarat site, India, during 2013 - 2019. The annual geometric mean value of 137Cs activity in grass and milk samples varied from 0.13 to 0.48 Bq/kg dry wt. and 0.03 to 0.14 Bq/l, respectively. Activity observed during the year 2013 - 2019 is comparable with preoperational baseline activity level, which indicated its fallout origin. The site-specific Fm has varied between 1.0E-02 to 3.71E-02 d/l with a GM of 2.22E-02 d/l (137Cs) and between 6.69E-03 to 1.54E-02 d/l with a GM of 9.63E-03 d/l (40K), respectively. The annual effective dose due to the ingestion of 137Cs and 40K through milk consumption was found to be 0.036 μSv/y and 16.94 μSv/y, respectively. The result is an useful input for the estimation of radiation dose to human beings in accidental conditions.

Urinary and fecal excretion of aromatic amines in pet dogs and cats from the United States

Several primary aromatic amines (AAs) are known or suspected carcinogens. Despite this, the exposure of pet animals to this class of chemicals is unknown. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of 30 AAs and two tobacco chemical markers (nicotine and cotinine) in 63 pet urine (42 dog and 21 cat) and 77 pet feces (37 dog and 40 cat) samples collected from the Albany area of New York State. Eight of the 30 AAs (∑8AAs) were found in > 38% of dog and cat urine samples, at median concentrations of 7.99 (range: 0.42–52.3 ng/mL) and 31.4 (2.63–75.9) ng/mL, respectively. Nine of the 30 AAs (∑9AAs) were found in > 73% of dog and cat feces samples, at median concentrations of 278 (range: 61.7–613 ng/g) and 240 (55.4–645) ng/g dry wt, respectively. Among the 30 AAs, 2,6-dimethylaniline (2,6-DMA) accounted for the highest median concentrations in both urine and fecal samples. Median concentrations of nicotine and cotinine were below 0.92 ng/mL in urine and below 3.86 ng/g in feces of both dogs and cats. No significant relationship was found between AA concentrations and pet age or gender. The lack of significant Spearman’s rank correlation between the concentrations of AA and nicotine in pet urine/feces suggested that sources other than tobacco smoke contributed to AA exposure in pets. Furthermore, the calculated fecal excretion rates of AAs were higher than the intake rates (estimated through reverse dosimetry), which indicates that cats and dogs are exposed to AA precursors such as azo dyes. Concentrations in urine and feces reflected exposure to direct and indirect exposure sources, respectively, of AAs.

Evaluation of Phenolic contents, Cytotoxic, and Antioxidant potential of Euphorbia nerrifolia

Objective: The researchers wanted to see how cytotoxic, phenolic, and antioxidant potential of Euphorbia nerrifolia were. Methods: The organic extracts were obtained by extraction of whole dried plant with n-hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol. Phyto-chemical screening was carried out using standard methods. Total phenolics contents were measured by using the Folin–CioEcalteu reagent method. Cytotoxic action was evaluated by brine shrimp lethality bioassay. DPPH radical assay was employed for antioxidant activity. Results: Phytochemical investigations confirmed the presence of anthraquinones, saponins, cardiac glycosides and flavonoids. Highest phenolic content (276.41 ± 64 mg GAE/g dry extract wt) was observed in methanol extract. Significant antioxidant potential was exhibited by methanol extract by means of 78.8% inhibition with IC50 value of 35.71µg/ml). In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, methanol extract demonstrated prominent cytotoxicity at highest level of dose with LD50 471.05. Conclusion: The study concluded that Euphorbia nerrifolia contains significant antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. Further investigation is suggested for the isolation of secondary metabolites responsible for reported biological activities.

Evaluation of conventional solvent processes for lipid and astaxanthin extraction from shrimp processing by-products

Shrimp processing by-products are a source of valuable bioactive/biomaterials such as lipids and astaxanthin. As such, extracting lipids/astaxanthin would reduce the environmental burden and enhance the industry’s finances. However, to determine the feasibility, the quality, and quantity of lipids/astaxanthin in the by-product as a function of extraction conditions and pretreatment is required. This work provides, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of lipid distributions and lipid/ASX mixture distributions in the extract from Atlantic shrimp by-products as a function of water removal and the extraction solvent. Lipid yields varied from 2–8.69 dry wt% for wet shrimp by-product to 1–4 dry wt% for the freeze-dried. Astaxanthin yields ranged from 57–88 µg/gwaste for the wet by-product to 118–218 µg/gwaste for the freeze-dried. Lipid extracts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and phospholipids. Lipid classes varied with solvent(s) and pretreatment. Overall, pretreatment to remove water decreased lipid yield but increased astaxanthin yield/quality. This information will impact the value and final application of the extract in downstream processes and can be used as a reference for the evaluation/development of scalable extraction processes.

Co-relational study on embelin content in wild and cultivated non fruit plant parts of Embelia tsjeriam-cottam A. DC.

Embelin, one of significant bio-active benzoquinone compound, acts as active principle in fruits of Embelia species and has significant role as a potent source for several formulations. Aim of current research study was to estimate the variation in embelin content different non fruit parts of Embelia tsjeriam-cottam (leaf, stem bark and roots) from both wild and cultivated sources. This was achieved by using spectroscopic method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis method, after purification through column chromatography (CC) and preparative thin layer chromatography technique (PTLC). In case of spectrophotometric analysis, wild Embelia tsjeriam-cottam plants showed embelin content in between 1.14-1.96% dry wt. and the cultivated plants 0.92-1.70% dry wt. Similarly in case of HPLC analysis, wild E. tsjeriam-cottam plants possessed embelin content in a range of 0.033-0.098% dry wt. and cultivated plants yielded embelin in between 0.021-0.071% dry wt. In both cases, amongst all the selected non fruit plant parts, the chloroform extracted root samples possessed highest and the methanol extracted leaf samples yielded lowest embelin content. When comparison was done between the wild and cultivated plant parts in terms of embelin content, wild plants were ascertained to be highly potent than the cultivated plants and root samples possessed highest embelin content followed by stem bark and leaf parts.