Ecology

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the process of lipid peroxidation and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase in rat liver, kidney, brain and erythrocytes in the conditions of acute intoxication. The results of investigation show, that TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) concentrations increased significantly during the 14-day period after intraperitoneal injection of AFB1 (in a dose 0.5 mg/kg body weight) in all analyzed cells. The activities of SOD and glutathione peroxidase decreased in rat organs and in erythrocytes dependently on cell type and time after administration of AFB1. It can be concluded that AFB1 is capable to induce the development of oxidative stress due to the stimulation of lipid peroxidation and inhibition of antioxidant enzyme activities in rat liver, kidney, brain and erythrocytes.

1 Львівський національний університет ім. І. Франка 2 Львівський національний медичний університет ім. Д. Галицького 3 Інститут біології тварин УААН У статті проаналізовано сучасні наукові роботи, що стосуються структури токсичних ефектів та механізмів впливу афлатоксинів на організм тварин і людини. Наведені дані свідчать про те, що забруднення навколишнього середовища афлатоксинами, розповсюдження їх у продуктах рослинного й тваринного походження створює потенційну загрозу для здоров'я людини, призводить до економічних втрат внаслідок захворювань і смертності сільськогосподарських тварин. Тому розробка системи контролю за рівнем афлатоксинів у сільськогосподарській продукції та попередження афлатоксикозів у людини і тварин нині є актуальною проблемою біологічної науки.

The present review article focuses on the impacts of metal pollution on aquatic ecosystems, and the processes that determine the levels of bioaccumulation and toxicity of metals to hydrobionts. Anthropogenic sources of metals and their distribution in water environment and bottom sediments are described. It is shown that metals are persistent in water column and sediments, so they affect significantly the environmental conditions during the hydrobionts life. Metal speciation and bioavailability in aquatic systems, the routes of exposure of aquatic organisms to metals, and important roles of trophic relations in metal transfer through the food web are considered.

The influence of soil and climatic conditions and growth biostimulants on the content of biochemical indices of prooxidant and antioxidant processes in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants of cv. "Perlyna Lisostepu" was investigated. The plants were grown on sod-podzolic soil of Precarpathian and dark-gray podzolic medium loamy soil of the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine under the influence of growth biostimulants "Vermymag", "Vermyiodis" and "Vermystym". The content of enzymes and low molecular weight metabolites in inflorescence cells was determined spectrophotometrically. Superoxide dismutase was determined by the ability of the enzyme to inhibit the photochemical reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium. Peroxidase activity was analyzed by the oxidation of aminoantipyrine, and catalase activity was analyzed by the ability of hydrogen peroxide to form a stable colored compound with ammonium molybdate. The content of ascorbic acid was determined by method of Murrie with Tillmann's reagent. Analysis of TBA (Thiobarbituric Acid)-active products was performed by determining the content of malonic dialdehyde in the interaction of MDA with 2-thiobarbituric acid. The content of essential oil in the inflorescences of M. recutita was determined by steam distillation method. An increase (p < 0.05) in the activity of enzymes of the antioxidant system in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants, grown with the application of biostimulants "Vermymag" (by 14.9-22.9%) and "Vermyiodis" (by 16.1-23.4%) in comparison with the control was established. Vermystym had no significant influence on enzyme activity. Inflorescences of plants of all experimental variants were characterized by a significantly higher content of ascorbic acid compared to plants grown in the control. The application of biostimulants promoted to the suppression of lipoperoxidation processes in plant cells. A comparative analysis of biochemical indices of inflorescences of M. recutita cultivated species with wild species was made. In the inflorescences of wild plants M. recutita was found a higher content of catalase relative to plants of cultivated species. The results of the investigation of the essential oil content in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants cv. "Perlyna of Lisostepu" showed that the medicinal plant raw materials had the high quality. The results of the investigation of the content of essential oil in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants of cv. "Perlyna Lisostepu" indicated that the medicinal plant raw materials were of high quality. However, the content of essential oil in the inflorescences of the wild species M. recutita does not meet the requirements of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine. By means of research it was established that soil and climatic conditions did not influence the activity of enzymes, lipoperoxidation processes and the content of essential oil. However, plants grown in the conditions of Western Forest-Steppe were characterized by the significantly higher content of ascorbic acid.

Trivalent chromium is essential to normal carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. Chromium is biologically active as part of an oligopeptide—chromodulin—potentiating the effect of insulin by facilitating insulin binding to receptors at the cell surface. With chromium acting as a cofactor of insulin, Cr activity in the organism is parallel to insulin functions. Cr(III) can help enhance the role of insulin, the critical hormone that controls blood sugar and helps bring glucose into cells where it’s used for bodily energy. Chromium deficiency has been suggested to lead to symptoms associated with adult-onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and these supplements have recently found potential as therapeutic agents in the treatment of adultonset diabetes. Cr(VI) is one of the few carcinogenic metals that directly reacts with DNA, forming adducts, and inducing mutations. The results of a wide range of studies indicate that the CpG1 methylation level of p16 could be used as a bioma...

The influence of soil and climatic conditions and growth biostimulants on the content of biochemical indices of prooxidant and antioxidant processes in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants of cv. "Perlyna Lisostepu" was investigated. The plants were grown on sod-podzolic soil of Precarpathian and dark-gray podzolic medium loamy soil of the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine under the influence of growth biostimulants "Vermymag", "Vermyiodis" and "Vermystym". The content of enzymes and low molecular weight metabolites in inflorescence cells was determined spectrophotometrically. Superoxide dismutase was determined by the ability of the enzyme to inhibit the photochemical reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium. Peroxidase activity was analyzed by the oxidation of aminoantipyrine, and catalase activity was analyzed by the ability of hydrogen peroxide to form a stable colored compound with ammonium molybdate. The content of ascorbic acid was determined by method of Murrie with Tillmann's reagent. Analysis of TBA (Thiobarbituric Acid)-active products was performed by determining the content of malonic dialdehyde in the interaction of MDA with 2-thiobarbituric acid. The content of essential oil in the inflorescences of M. recutita was determined by steam distillation method. An increase (p < 0.05) in the activity of enzymes of the antioxidant system in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants, grown with the application of biostimulants "Vermymag" (by 14.9-22.9%) and "Vermyiodis" (by 16.1-23.4%) in comparison with the control was established. Vermystym had no significant influence on enzyme activity. Inflorescences of plants of all experimental variants were characterized by a significantly higher content of ascorbic acid compared to plants grown in the control. The application of biostimulants promoted to the suppression of lipoperoxidation processes in plant cells. A comparative analysis of biochemical indices of inflorescences of M. recutita cultivated species with wild species was made. In the inflorescences of wild plants M. recutita was found a higher content of catalase relative to plants of cultivated species. The results of the investigation of the essential oil content in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants cv. "Perlyna of Lisostepu" showed that the medicinal plant raw materials had the high quality. The results of the investigation of the content of essential oil in the inflorescences of M. recutita plants of cv. "Perlyna Lisostepu" indicated that the medicinal plant raw materials were of high quality. However, the content of essential oil in the inflorescences of the wild species M. recutita does not meet the requirements of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine. By means of research it was established that soil and climatic conditions did not influence the activity of enzymes, lipoperoxidation processes and the content of essential oil. However, plants grown in the conditions of Western Forest-Steppe were characterized by the significantly higher content of ascorbic acid.