ABSTRACT
Aims: To identify a biochemical parameter in a plant(s) that can serve as an indicator of heavy metal pollution. Study Design: Design of the study includes collection of plant samples from a contaminated site and a rural site and to check their biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress. Based on the experimental findings, attempts were made to identify a parameter that can serve as an indicator of heavy metal contamination. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, India, during the period from August 2013-June 2014. Methodology: Plant samples were collected from East Calcutta Wetlands (metal contaminated site) and Binogram, a village 90 Km away from Kolkata (control site). The samples were checked for the following parameters: non-protein thiol, ascorbic acid, superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid peroxidation. This was followed by a statistical analysis. Results: Non-protein thiol content was found to be less in the Ipomoea, Hygrophila and cabbage samples collected from ECW. The values were 65-75% of the village samples. Cauliflower leaves did not show any alteration in the parameter. Ascorbic acid was altered significantly in cabbage and Hygrophila. Activity of SOD decreased in all samples. Lipid peroxidation increased in all samples except Ipomoea. Of the biochemical parameters tested, maximum alteration was found with nonprotein thiol, in which glutathione (GSH) is the major constituent. Of the vegetables studied, cabbage showed an alteration in all biochemical parameters. Conclusion: GSH has the potential for being used as an indicator of heavy metal pollution. Cabbage can be used as a model vegetable for testing the biochemical parameters. The method will be helpful in identification of a contaminated site before estimation of heavy metals.
ABSTRACT
It was earlier reported from this laboratory that, Channa striatus, L a common edible fish, whose skin extract (CSSE) was pharmacologicaclly potent and contains several bioactive compounds. In the present communication a cardiotoxic factor was isolated and purified by thin layer chromatography followed by silica gel and neutral alumina column chromatography. Spectroscopic studies (UV, IR, 1H and 13C NMR, FAB-MS) indicated that the lethal cardiotoxic factor (CSS-CTF II) was an aromatic alkaloid compound with -NH, > C = C < and -OH functional groups. The molecular weight was found to be 413 dalton. LD50 of CSS-CTF II was found to be 42.5 mg/kg (i.v) in Swiss albino male mice. Pharmacological studies showed that CSS-CTF II possesses hypotensive and cardiotoxic activities and produced death through apnoea in experimental animals but had no effect on nerve muscle preparations. The haematological and biochemical data also indicated the toxic nature of CSS-CTF II, through significant fall in haemoglobin, total RBC, WBC, platelet count and increased cardiac marker enzyme CPK and CPK-MB value in experimental animals. The present investigation thus established the toxic nature of CSS-CTF II isolated from edible fish C. striatus skin extract. Further work is needed to identify CSS-CTF II's mechanism of action and its antagonism for therapeutic purpose.