Ppm Cadmium Research Articles

Characterization and genome mining of Bacillus subtilis BDSA1 isolated from river water in Bangladesh: A promising bacterium with diverse biotechnological applications

The metabolic versatility of Bacillus subtilis makes it useful for a wide range of applications in biotechnology, from bioremediation to industrially important metabolite production. Understanding the molecular attributes of the biocontrol characteristics of B. subtilis is necessary for its tailored use in the environment and industry. Therefore, the present study aimed to conduct phenotypic characterization and whole genome analysis of the B. subtilis BDSA1 isolated from polluted river water from Dhaka, Bangladesh to explore its biotechnological potential. The chromium reduction capacity at 100 ppm Cr (VI) showed that B. subtilis BDSA1 reduced 40 % of Cr (VI) within 24hrs at 37 °C. Exposure of this bacterium to 200 ppm cadmium resulted in 43 % adsorption following one week of incubation at 37 °C. Molecular detection of chrA and czcC gene confirmed chromium and cadmium resistance characteristics of BDSA1. The size of the genome of the B. subtilis BDSA1 was 4.2 Mb with 43.4 % GC content. Genome annotation detected the presence of numerous genes involved in the degradation of xenobiotics, resistance to abiotic stress, production of lytic enzymes, siderophore formation, and plant growth promotion. The assembled genome also carried chromium, cadmium, copper, and arsenic resistance-related genes, notably cadA, czcD, czrA, arsB etc. Genome mining revealed six biosynthetic gene clusters for bacillaene, bacillibacin, bacilysin, subtilosin, fengycin and surfactin. Importantly, BDSA1 was predicted to be non-pathogenic to humans and had only two acquired antimicrobial resistance genes. The pan-genome analysis showed the openness of the B. subtilis pan-genome. Our findings suggested that B. subtilis BDSA1 might be a promising candidate for diverse biotechnological uses.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Fermented Banana Peel Extracts for the Biosorption and Removal of Cadmium to Mitigate Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

This study identified 11 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that exhibited tolerance to heavy metal cadmium concentrations above 50 ppm for 48 h. Among these strains, T126-1 and T40-1 displayed the highest tolerance, enduring cadmium concentrations up to 500 ppm while still inhibiting bacterial growth by 50%. Moreover, the fermentation of banana peel using LAB significantly enhanced the clearance rate of cadmium (p < 0.05) compared to nonfermented banana peel. Additionally, the LAB-fermented banana peel exhibited higher 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and reduced power values. Strain T40-1 exhibited a significant improvement in its ability to chelate ferrous ions (p < 0.05). Regarding antibiotic resistance, both the T40-1 and TH3 strains demonstrated high resistance with a third-level inhibition rate against ampicillin and tetracycline. Cell viability tests revealed that incubation with the T40-1 and TH3 strains for a duration of 24 h did not result in any cellular damage. Moreover, these LAB strains effectively mitigated oxidative stress markers, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), caused by 2 ppm cadmium on cells. Furthermore, the LAB strains were able to reduce the inflammatory response, as evidenced by a decrease in interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels (p < 0.05). The use of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis provided valuable insight into the interaction between metal ions and the organic functional groups present on the cell wall of fermented banana peel. In summary, this study highlights the potential of the LAB strains T40-1 and TH3 in terms of their tolerance to the cadmium, ability to enhance cadmium clearance rates, and their beneficial effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell viability.

Chemical Pollutants (Aromatic Compounds and Heavy Metals) from Industrial Wastes which Impacted on Planted Vegetables

The chemical pollutants (aromatic compounds and heavy metals) in the waters of the Tigris River were studied for the two sites of the Dora power station and the site of the vegetable oil plant during the summer season of 2021. The study included measuring some physical and chemical properties such as (acid function, temperature, turbidity, total dissolved salts, magnesium, calcium, chloride and potassium and sodium and determination of heavy metals such as (lead, cadmium) and the results were (0.06 ppm lead at the cycle electricity site, 0.04 ppm lead in the vegetable oil site), (0.1 ppm cadmium at the cycle electricity site, 0.1 ppm cadmium at the vegetable oil site), the aromatic compounds of the river water were estimated, and the heavy elements of soil and plants (lead, cadmium) were estimated. The results indicated that the water quality was low in salinity and low in soda, and the results of soil tests showed that the concentrations of lead and cadmium elements were (61.75 ppm lead at the Dora electricity site, 55.11 ppm for lead in the vegetable oil site), and it was (14.45 ppm cadmium at the Dora electricity site)., 13.75 ppm for cadmium in the vegetable oil site) and thus exceeded the permissible limits of the specifications of the World Health Organization (WHO, 2003). vegetable oils site, exceeding the permissible limits of the Food and Health Organization (2007, WHO/FAO) standard of mg kg-1 dry matter. The study showed the presence of some aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in the water of the Tigris River for the two study sites, through the technique of Coupled Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GS-MS), and the results of the examination recorded the presence of different concentrations, where the concentration of naphthalene compound reached 35 ppm and benzo compound ( ghi) perylene concentration reached 70 ppm for water, which indicates the pollution of river water, which is deposited and remains at the bottom of the river by the effect of sewage, wastes of stations and oil installations, and waste of laboratories.

Separation and Micro Determination of Zinc(II) and Cadmium(II) in Food Samples Using Cloud Point Extraction method

The cloud point extraction technique has become increasingly popular in recent years for trace metal separation and preconcentration. When heated to a specific temperature, cloud point extraction utilizes the property of nonionic surfactants in aqueous solutions to generate micelles and become turbid (so-called cloud point temperature). For analytical chemists, developing a simple and selective technology for the separation and determination of metals and medicinal drugs is a critical concern. Therefore, a sensitive, accurate, and green cloud point extraction (CPE) procedure was developed for the micro-determination of metal cations like zinc (II) and cadmium (II) in food samples. Triton X–114 and 1-(4-(Phenyldiazenyl) phenyl) azo naphthalene-2-ol (Sudan III) were used as extractants. Sudan III forms an ion-pair association complex with metal ions when the pH is 9. In the presence of 5 ppm zinc (II) or 4 ppm cadmium (II) in an aqueous solution, the maximum extraction efficiency should be achieved. In order to create Cloud Point Temperature (CPT) quantitatively, the extraction applications in this approach required heating at 85°C for 20 minutes. In this work, the impacts of different surfactants, pH, stoichiometry, and various organic reagents on interferences as well as spectrophotometric determination were explored. The linearity ranges of zinc (II) and cadmium (II) were 0.25-700 and 0.25-400 ppm, respectively. The results show low detection limits of 0.035 and 0.042 ppm for zinc (II) and cadmium (II), respectively. Also, the quantification limits for zinc (II) and cadmium (II) are 0.116 and 0.140 ppm, respectively.

Fructobacillus trapaeoli - A fructophilic lactic acid bacteria isolated from Manilkara zapota

The study was undertaken to isolate and characterize fructophilic lactic acid bacteria from the fruit Manilkara zapota (chikoo). Microscopic, phenotypic, biochemical and molecular characterisation of the isolates was done. The Gram-positive thin rods (5 μm length and 0.25 μm thickness) were catalase and oxidase negative and did not hydrolyze arginine. The carbohydrate fermentation studies showed that the isolate preferred fructose similar to glucose as an energy source. The isolate had an optimum growth at 37ºC and also had grown at 45ºC. 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed the isolate as Fructobacillus tropaeoli DMM03 (NCBI accession number MT158673). There are very few reports of isolation and characterization of Fructobacillus from India. The osmotolerant nature of the isolate was established by its ability to grow in pH 5, 8 per cent NaCl, 35 per cent D-Fructose and 50 per cent D-Glucose. The isolate had also shown growth in the presence of heavy metals with a maximum concentration of 60 ppm cadmium and 2425 ppm lead. An autoaggregation of 46.3 per cent and cell surface hydrophobicity value of 22 per cent with apolar solvent xylene suggested the high adhesion potential. The isolate was found to be non-haemolytic and not liquefying gelatin which implies its safety in use for product preparation. The results point out a prospective area for future research in Fructobacillus tropaeoli DMM03 for tapping its potential in the field of probiotics and bioremediation.

Enmiendas líquidas orgánicas en la reducción de cadmio en suelo, hojas y almendras de cacao

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the application of two organic amendments (biol and liquid carbon) on the cadmium of the soil, leaves and almonds of the cocoa crop, plantation CCN-51 (Theobroma cacaoL.), five years of production, in the province of Huamalíes, Huánuco region, Peru. The research used a completely randomized block design (RCDB) with a factorial arrangement of 3 x 3 + 1 additional control. Total cadmium in the soil, leavesand cocoa beans was evaluated. The lowest content of total cadmium in the soil was determined when applying 50 L/ha of biol (0.13 ppm of cadmium) and when applying 4 L/ha of liquid carbon (0.12 ppm of cadmium); while, without the application of organic liquid amendments, the average value was 0.36 ppm of cadmium. Likewise, T5 (80 L/ha of biol + 4L/ha of liquid carbon) reduces the available cadmium content of the soil by 73.58%; while T4 decreases the cadmium content in leaves and almonds by 43.83% and 62.96%, respectively.

Methylation Modelling and Epigenetic Analysis of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Seedlings Exposed to Cadmium Heavy Metal Stress

Environmental pollution, especially heavy metal pollution, is an important environmental problem all over the world. Heavy metals that accumulate in high concentrations in soil and water ecosystems are known to damage most functional biomolecules such as DNA, RNA and protein in living organisms and cause genotoxicity. For example, cadmium heavy metal is one of the heavy metals that negatively affect plant growth and development. The aim of this study is to determine the methylcytosine level in the sunflower plant genome and the changes in the methylation pattern under cadmium stress. The purpose of this study is to determine the methylcytosine level in the sunflower plant genome and the changes in the methylation pattern under cadmium stress. Sunflower seeds were grown with different concentrations of cadmium heavy metal solution (20 to 1280 ppm) for 3 weeks. According to the data obtained in the study, as the cadmium concentration increased, the growth and development of sunflower seedlings decreased. After detecting DNA band variations by RAPD analysis, methylcytosine levels in the sample genome were determined by CRED-RA technique. As a result of RAPD analysis, the highest GTS rate was 87.83% at 20 ppm cadmium concentration and the lowest rate was 81.75% at 320 ppm. Four different methylation patterns (Type I-IV) were determined according to the CRED-RA analysis. As a result of the study, significant changes in the DNA methylation pattern were observed by CRED-RA analysis in the sunflower genome exposed to cadmium heavy metal stress.

Sex differences in the effects of whole-life, low-dose cadmium exposure on postweaning high-fat diet-induced cardiac pathogeneses

We previously showed the development of cardiac remodeling (hypertrophy or fibrosis) in mice with either post-weaning high-fat diet (HFD, 60% kcal fat) feeding or exposure to chronic low-dose cadmium. Here, we determined whether whole-life exposure to environmentally relevant, low-dose cadmium affects the susceptibility of offspring to post-weaning HFD-induced cardiac pathologies and function. Besides, we also determined whether these effects are sex-dependent. Male and female mice were exposed to cadmium-containing (0, 0.5, or 5 parts per million [ppm]) drinking water before breeding; the pregnant mice and dams with offspring continually drank the same cadmium-containing water. After weaning, the offspring were continued on the same regime as their parents and fed either a HFD or normal fat diet for 24 weeks. Cardiac function was examined with echocardiography. Cardiac tissues were used for the histopathological and biochemical (gene and protein expression by real-time PCR and Western blotting) assays. Results showed a dose-dependent cadmium accumulation in the hearts of male and female mice along with decreased cardiac zinc and copper levels only in female offspring. Exposure to 5 ppm, but not 0.5 ppm, cadmium significantly enhanced HFD cardiac effects only in female mice, shown by worsened cardiac systolic and diastolic dysfunction (ejection fraction, mitral E-to-annular e′ ratio), increased fibrosis (collagen, fibronectin, collagen1A1), hypertrophy (cardiomyocyte size, atrial natriuretic peptide, β-myosin heavy chain), and inflammation (intercellular adhesion molecule-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1), compared to the HFD group. These synergistic effects were associated with activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway and increased oxidative stress, shown by 3-nitrotyrosine and malondialdehyde, along with decreased metallothionein expression. These results suggest that whole-life 5 ppm cadmium exposure significantly increases the susceptibility of female offspring to HFD-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. The underlying mechanism and potential intervention will be further explored in the future.

Bioaccessibility as a determining factor in the bioavailability and toxicokinetics of cadmium compounds

Cadmium toxicity occurs where there is absorption and accumulation of cadmium ions (Cd2+) in tissues beyond tolerable levels. Significant differences in the release of Cd2+ from cadmium compounds in biological fluids, like gastric fluid, may indicate differences in bioavailability and absorption. This means that direct read-across from high solubility cadmium compounds to lower solubility compounds may not accurately reflect potential hazards. Here, the relative bioaccessibility in gastric fluid of cadmium telluride and cadmium chloride was evaluated using in vitro bioelution tests whilst the toxicokinetic behavior of these two compounds were compared after dietary administration for 90 days in male and female Wistar Han rats following OECD TG 408. Cadmium chloride was highly bioaccessible, whilst cadmium telluride showed low solubility in simulated gastric fluid (90 % and 1.5 % bioaccessibility, respectively). This difference in bioaccessibility was also reflected by a difference in bioavailability as shown by the difference in the liver and kidney concentrations of cadmium after repeat oral exposure. Feeding at doses of 750 and 1500 ppm of cadmium telluride did not result in tissue cadmium levels above the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ). In contrast, feeding with a lower test substance concentration yet higher concentration of bioaccessible cadmium (30 ppm cadmium chloride) resulted in tissue accumulation of cadmium. Only slight, non-adverse changes in hematology and clinical chemistry parameters were seen at these doses, indicating an absence of significant cadmium mediated toxicity towards target organs (kidney and liver), reflected in minimal cadmium accumulation in these organs.This study demonstrates that bioelution tests can help determine the bioaccessibility of cadmium, which can be used to estimate the potential for target tissue toxicity based on known toxicokinetic profiles and threshold levels for cadmium toxicity, while reducing and refining animal testing.

Effect of Vitamin C on Cadmium Depending Growth and Vitamin C Contents of Citrobacter Freundii

Citrobacter freundii bacteria were grown in LB medium containing cadmium ion. In order to reduce adverse effect caused by cadmium, different concentrations of vitamin C, were added to the growth medium. While the concentration of bacteria grown was determined by spectrophotometer, the amounts of water and fat-soluble vitamins were also determined by HPLC. The cadmium concentration varied from 0 (control), to 10, 20, 40, 60, 75, 100, 125 ppm in LB growth medium. The effect of cadmium has not been observed on the growth of bacteria, up to 40 ppm, on the other hand no significant microorganism growth was observed over 150 ppm cadmium. Significant change of bacteria concentration was observed in the medium containing 75, 100 and 125 ppm Cd. Microorganism concentrations decreased 18.8, 40.5 and 45.5 percent in the growth medium containing 75, 100 and 125 ppm Cadmium respectively. With the addition of 75 ppm vitamin C to the same growth medium, microorganism concentration was decreased about 2.0, 28.0 and 31.0 percent, respectively compared to the control. In addition, fat and water-soluble vitamins in bacteria grown in cadmium-containing medium was decreased in comparison to the control (p&amp;lt;0.05). With the addition of 25, 50 and 75 ppm vitamin C to cadmium-containing medium, fat and water soluble vitamin concentrations were increased. As a result, it can be said that the negative effects of cadmium on bacterial growth and vitamin content can be reversed by the addition of vitamin C in to the growth medium of bacteria.

Effects of chronic cadmium exposure on the structure and function of intestinal mucosal flora in mice

Cadmium (Cd) is a serious environmental pollutant to human health. Intestinal flora is associated with human health. This study probed into the effects of Cd on the small intestinal mucosal flora in mice by drinking water intake 5 ppm, 20 ppm and 100 ppm cadmium chloride for 50 days respectively. Results indicated that diversity, taxonomic composition and community structure of intestinal mucosal flora were influenced by Cd exposure. Sphingomonas, Microbacterium and Desulfovibrio, as the characteristic bacteria, played vital roles in the different dose groups of Cd. Meanwhile, Cd exposure adjusted the metabolic function of intestinal mucosal flora, mainly involved in the effects on carbohydrate, amino acid and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, different doses of Cd had different effects on the microbial activity of intestinal mucosal. Conclusively, Cd exposure affected the structure and function of intestinal mucosal flora. We screened the Sphingomonas, Microbacterium and Desulfovibrio as the biomarkers of intestinal mucosal flora after Cd exposure.

Nutrient and toxic heavy metal assessment of Tarbinskiellus portentosus and Schizodactylus monstrosus consumed by the Bodo tribe in Assam, India

Tarbinskiellus portentosus and Schizodactylus monstrosus are a delicacy among the Bodo tribe of Assam. This study was undertaken to estimate the mineral contents and proximate values and to evaluate the presence of toxic heavy metals in them. Proximate contents were evaluated following the guidelines of Association of the Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and minerals including toxic heavy metals were estimated using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). T. portentosus showed significantly higher fat, carbohydrate and moisture contents whereas S. monstrosus showed significantly higher ash, fibre, protein and nitrogen contents (p ≤ 0.05). T. portentosus showed a significantly higher calorific value of 423.89 ± 2.123 kcal/100 g, whereas S. monstrosus showed a significantly lower value of 410.04 ± 1.103 kcal/100 g (p ≤ 0.05). T. portentosus showed a significantly higher value of 0.008 ppm arsenic, 0.038 ppm lead, and 0.015 ppm cadmium (p ≤ 0.05). S. monstrosus on the other hand showed significantly lower values of 0.002 ppm arsenic, 0.008 ppm lead, and 0.004 ppm cadmium (p ≤ 0.05). Although the insects are rich in nutrients and minerals, presence of toxic heavy elements indicate environmental contamination and hence, their consumption should be done with caution or avoided.

Kinetic Study of the Cd-Biopolyelectrolyte Complexes Formation Using Square Wave Stripping Voltammetry

In this work an electrochemical methodology was developed to follow the association kinetics between a heavy metals and two different biopolymers, BP (corn gum and chitosan). This type of interaction is a key factor in the removal of metal ions contained in aqueous media at low concentrations. An aqueous solution with ppm of cadmium was used as a model to evaluate the kinetics of formation of the Cd-BP complex. The method selected for the quantification of cadmium was the square wave stripping voltammetry (SWSV). The experiment was carried out using a Britton-Robinson solution as a support electrolyte at pH 4.5, vitreous carbon as a working electrode, Calomel as a reference electrode, and graphite as a counter electrode. The initial concentration of Cd (II) solution was 10 mg/L. The concentration changes were recorded during 590 s. The kinetic models chosen to identify the reaction mechanism of the complex formation process were reversible first order and pseudo first order.

Effect of Cadmium and Spirulina platensis Administration on Hematological Parameters in Chickensa

One hundred chickens of one day of age were divided randomly into five groups of 20 birds each. After two weeks of adaptation, group I was kept in control, group II was fed with 0.2% Spirulina platensis powder till 90th day post treatment (DPT). Group III was administered 1.6 ppm cadmium as cadmium chloride monohydrate (CdCl2.H2O) in triple glass distilled water. Groups IV and V were administered 1.61 ppm cadmium in triple glass distilled water along with Spirulina platensis powder orally in standard recommended feed at the rate of 0.2% concentration. However, in Group V Spirulina platensis powder was given from 60th DPT till 90th DPT. For hematological studies, blood samples were collected from each group at 0, 15th, 30th, 45th, 60th, 75th and 90th DPT. There was a significant treatment dependent decrease in values of hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total erythrocyte count (TEC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), whereas a significant increase in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in cadmium treated groups III and V as compared to group I. In groups III and V, significant increase in total leukocyte count (TLC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and absolute heterophil count (AHC) were recorded. In group IV, significant decrease in Hb, PCV, TEC, MCH, MCHC, lymphocytes and significant increase in TLC, MCV, heterophils was observed as compared to groups III and V. It was concluded from the present study that cadmium fed at NOEL (1.61 ppm) levels for 90 days is toxic. Spirulina platensis fed concurrently with cadmium at NOAEL dose nullified the toxic effects of cadmium. However, Spirulina fed after accumulation of cadmium at NOEL dose is not able to reverse the adverse effects.

Biosorption of copper(II) and cadmium(II) by Bacillus cereus sys1 isolated from oil-contaminated site

Biosorption of copper(II) and cadmium(II) was studied using Bacillus cereus sys1 cells. The biosorption capacity of the cells has been studied as a function of pH, initial metal concentration, cell concentration and contact time. Batch studies showed that the B. cereus sys1 cells could adsorb up to 90% of both metals. For copper, total contact time of 90 min was required with 100 ppm initial metal concentration at pH 5 using 10 mg/ml cells, whereas 180 min was required for 30 ppm cadmium at pH 7. The study demonstrated correlation with Langmuir model with different concentrations of both Cu(II) and Cd(II). The adsorption capacity was found to be 225 mg/g for copper and 34.67 mg/g for cadmium. As per the Freundlich isotherm, value of 1/n, which shows the strength of adsorption, was found to be 0.5114 for copper and 0.2492 for cadmium indicating a normal and favourable adsorption intensity. The surface adsorption of metals was confirmed using SEM with EDS. It revealed that the cells treated with oil could adsorb 7.55% copper as compared to untreated cells which showed 7.29% adsorption. Similarly, for cadmium oil-treated cells showed 9.44% adsorption compared to 2.63% of untreated cells. This indicated that the cells grown in the presence of oil have a better capacity for metal ion adsorption.

Macro and microelements, lead, cadmium, functional compounds, antioxidant capacity in fresh, dry cocoa beans and cocoa paste

The cocoa bean and its by-products are widely consumed in the world, due to their mineral content, functional compounds and antioxidant capacity, which vary according to how its processed. Fresh dried cocoa beans (FDB), dry fermented beans (FB) and cocoa paste (CP) were investigated, 31 samples in each case. Phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, cadmium lead, total polyphenols, anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity (ABTS, DPPH) expressed in Trolox equivalents (TE) were determined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used. The mineral analysis established that 12 samples influenced CP1 and CP2. There was more calcium in the M26 sample of FDB, with 3.14%; potassium in the FDB, in M13, with 2.44%. Zinc in the FDB, was found in greater quantity in M30, M22, M23 and M9; with 90.46 ± 0.19 ppm in M30. Twenty-five samples reached values ≤ 0.61 ± 0.01 ppm of cadmium. There was a higher lead content in the FDB, in the M20 sample with 3.44 ± 0.05 ppm. The M10 sample, from FDB, presented the highest antioxidant capacity, with values of 591.50 ± 3.76 (ABTS) and 513.68 ± 0.84 (DPPH) μM TE/g.

The effect of diosmin against liver damage caused by cadmium in rats.

A total of 40, male Wistar Albino, 2-3-months-old rats were used and divided into four groups. Control group received the vehicle alone, diosmin group received 100mg/kg.bw diosmin, the cadmium group received 200ppm cadmium, cadmium plus diosmin group received 200ppm cadmium, and 100mg/kg.bw diosmin for 30days. Some biochemical parameters (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase) and oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NO], superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], gluthatione peroxidase [GSH-Px], and glutathione [GSH]) were analyzed in the samples. Histo-pathological findings were evaluated in the liver. The body weights and liver weights of the animals were measured. The MDA and NO levels and biochemical enzyme activities examined were increased, whereas SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities and GSH levels decreased in cadmium-exposed group. There were also negative changes in body weight, liver weight, and liver tissue histo-phathology. Positive improvements were observed in all these parameters evaluated of the group co-administered cadmium and diosmin. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Cadmium is one of the common environmental pollutants. Diosmin is a type of flavonoid found mainly in citrus fruits. It can also be produced from hesperidine. This compound is used for medical purposes and also has strong antioxidant properties. One of the toxic effects mechanisms of cadmium is oxidative stress and causes liver damage with different pathways. This compound can be used as a supporting agent in addition to the main treatment options against liver damage in case of exposure to possible cadmium. This flavonoid can also be taken with food for prophylactic purposes.

Effect of Spirulina platensis on Immunity in Cadmium Treated Chickens

One hundred chickens of one day age were divided randomly into five groups of 20 birds each. After two weeks of adaptation period, group I was kept as control, group II was fed with 0.2% Spirulina platensis powder till 90th day post treatment (DPT). Group III was administered 1.6 ppm cadmium as cadmium chloride monohydrate (CdCl2.H2O) in triple glass distilled water. Groups IV and V were administered 1.61 ppm cadmium in triple glass distilled water along with Spirulina platensis powder orally in standard recommended feed at the rate of 0.2% concentration. However, in Group V Spirulina platensis powder was given after 60th day post treatment (DPT) till 90th day post treatment (DPT). Humoral immune response was assessed by hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition assays from the serum separated from 5 chickens from each group at 0, 30th, 60th and 90th DPT and cell mediated immune response was assessed using lymphocyte stimulation test from 5 chickens from each group at 0, 30th, 60th and 90th DPT using heparinised peripheral blood. There was a significant decrease in humoral immune response in cadmium treated group III, as compared to group I control. In groups IV and V, Spirulina platensis showed significant increase in humoral immune response in chickens which were also treated with cadmium. There was no significant change in cell mediated immune response in any group throughout the period of experiment. Present study showed the immunotoxic property of cadmium in chickens even at NOAEL dose and also Spirulina platensis has shown immunopotentiating effects in birds even in which the immunity was down regulated due to cadmium.

Trace determination of cadmium content in Malaysian herbs using graphene–ionic liquid-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes

Abstract. A simple and effective method of square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) with screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) was used to determine the cadmium concentration in Malaysian herb samples. The optimization process involved the selection of an optimized pH, an acetate buffer as a supporting electrolyte, the deposition potential, deposition time and the surface modification process on an SPCE surface. The optimum conditions were a pH of 4.5, a deposition potential of −1.4 V and a deposition time of 120 s. The SPCE surface was modified with the fabrication of the graphene–ionic liquid composite as the sensing layer. Four herb samples were tested, where herbs A, D, M and C contained 0.0035, 0.0237, 0.0267 and 0.0251 ppm of cadmium, respectively. The sensitivity of the proposed sensor was compared with an inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP–OES). The relative standard deviation (RSD) between the sensor and the ICP–OES indicated that the sensor was sensitive, as RSD was below 20 % with range of 7.93 % to 18.28 %.

Cyclic lipopeptide biosurfactant from Bacillus tequilensis exhibits multifarious activity.

Bacillus tequilensis strain CH had been previously shown to produce a biosurfactant.In this study, chemical structure of the purified biosurfactant was determined by using high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy as a 10 amino acid cyclic lipopeptide (CL). The cyclic lipopeptide was found to be active against Anopheles culicifacies larvae with a LC50 of 110µg/ml in 2 days. 1ppm cadmium (Cd) which had a profound mutagenic effect on the cell division of onion (Allium cepa) root tip cell resulting in abnormal metaphase, abnormal anaphase and nuclei elongation was partially reversed in the presence of 0.1mg/ml of CL (52% cells dividing normally and 8% with abnormal division) and was comparable to control experiment where no Cd was present. Thus, the CL described in this report may have applications in eliminating larvae from water repository systems and in reversing the effects of cadmium pollution.