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Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jan 2024Birds are useful as bioindicators of metal pollution, but the variety of species and tissue distribution may influence the study of heavy metal burdens in birds. The...
Birds are useful as bioindicators of metal pollution, but the variety of species and tissue distribution may influence the study of heavy metal burdens in birds. The objective of this study was to determine the levels of heavy metals in wild birds' carcasses to acquire information on species differences and the tissue distribution of metals in wild birds in Thailand. Species differences in metal buildup were observed in the livers and kidneys, but not in the feathers. A significantly higher accumulation of Cd was found in the livers and kidneys of the granivorous birds compared to those in the water birds. In all the groups of birds, the Pb level in the livers (>15 ppm) and feathers (>4 ppm) exceeded the threshold limits, causing potential lead poisoning and disturbing the reproductive success. The Cd accumulation in the kidneys was above 2-8 ppm, indicating increased environmental exposure to Cd in these birds. The Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Fe concentrations in the livers could be estimated using the kidneys, while the Pb level in the liver may be predicted using feathers. Furthermore, water birds' feathers may be potentially appropriate bioindicators for long-term exposure. Research on the origin of metal contamination is needed to reduce the threat of heavy metals to the health of both birds and other wildlife species.
PubMed: 38254477
DOI: 10.3390/ani14020308 -
Open Veterinary Journal Mar 2024Food poisoning caused by bacterial agents is a worldwide problem, usually accompanied by unpleasant symptoms and may be severe leading to death. Natural compounds from...
BACKGROUND
Food poisoning caused by bacterial agents is a worldwide problem, usually accompanied by unpleasant symptoms and may be severe leading to death. Natural compounds from marine algae namely flavonoids may play a role in the remedy of this condition.
AIM
This research aims to assess the potency of flavonoids extracted from and as antibacterial agents.
METHODS
was collected from Western Libyan Coast and was collected from Farwa Island. The antimicrobial activity and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration of algal flavonoid-containing extracts was performed against some positive and negative Gram bacteria.
RESULTS
Crude extract containing flavonoids from was more effective than extract against with antimicrobial essay (25-28 + 1 and 14.5-37.5 + 0.5-1.5), MIC (50 and 50-250 µg/ml), MBC (75 and 75-250 µg/ml). In the antimicrobial assay (19-24.5 + 0.5-1.5: 24 + 1), MIC (50-250 + 100 µg/ml), and MBC (250 and 125 µg/ml). On the other hand, flavonoids containing extract from were more effective than against Enterohemorrhagic O157 EHEC O157 (25-28 + 1: 14-18.5 + 0.5-1.5), MIC (100-250:100-500 µg/ml), and MBC (150-250 and 250-500 µg/ml). qualitatively combat by flavonoid from (13.5-14 + 0.5-1: 10.5-13.5 + 0.5-1.5), MIC (100-250: 250 µg/ml), and MBC (100-250: 250 µg/ml). Flavonoids from (4 strains: 2 strains) were effective against Crude flavonoids from both algae were not effective against
CONCLUSION
Data from this study could conclude that flavonoid extracts from could be used against foodborne bacterial agents.
Topics: Flavonoids; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Caulerpa; Ulva; Plant Extracts; Foodborne Diseases; Animals
PubMed: 38682138
DOI: 10.5455/OVJ.2024.v14.i3.3 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2023Food safety has become a serious global concern because of the accumulation of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in crops cultivated on contaminated agricultural soils....
Food safety has become a serious global concern because of the accumulation of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in crops cultivated on contaminated agricultural soils. Amongst these toxic elements, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) receive worldwide attention because of their ability to cause deleterious health effects. Thus, an assessment of these toxic metals in the soils, irrigation waters, and the most widely consumed vegetables in Nigeria; Spinach (Amaranthushybridus), and Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The mean concentration (measured in mg kg) of the PTMs in the soils was in the sequence Cr (81.77) > Pb(19.91) > As(13.23) > Cd(3.25), exceeding the WHO recommended values in all cases. This contamination was corroborated by the pollution evaluation indices. The concentrations (measured in mg l) of the PTMs in the irrigation water followed a similar pattern i.e. Cr(1.87) > Pb(1.65) > As(0.85) > Cd(0.20). All the PTMs being studied, were found in the vegetables with Cr (5.37 and 5.88) having the highest concentration, followed by Pb (3.57 and 4.33), and As (1.09 and 1.67), while Cd (0.48 and 1.04) had the lowest concentration (all measured in mg kg) for cabbage and spinach, respectively. The concentration of the toxic metals was higher in spinach than in cabbage, which may be due to the redistribution of the greater proportion of the metals above the ground tissue, caused by the bioavailability of metals in the aqueous phase. Expectedly, the hazard index (HI),and carcinogenic risk values of spinach were higher than that of cabbage. This implies that spinach poses potentially higher health risks. Similarly, the Monte Carlo simulation results reveal that the 5th percentile, 95th percentile, and 50th percentile of the cumulative probability of cancer risks due to the consumption of these vegetables exceeds the acceptable range of 1.00E-6 and 1.00E-4. Thus, the probable risk of a cancerous effect is high, and necessary remedial actions are recommended.
Topics: Humans; Vegetables; Metals, Heavy; Cadmium; Soil; Monte Carlo Method; Lead; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Arsenic; Brassica; Chromium; Water; Soil Pollutants; Risk Assessment; Environmental Monitoring
PubMed: 38040785
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48489-4 -
Toxins Nov 2023is a medicinal flowering plant that is rich in bioactive compounds with various biological properties. species, known for causing significant crop losses and mycotoxin...
is a medicinal flowering plant that is rich in bioactive compounds with various biological properties. species, known for causing significant crop losses and mycotoxin contamination, pose threats to food safety and human health. While synthetic fungicides are commonly employed for fungal management, their environmental impact prompts the ongoing development of alternative methods. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of flower extracts in inhibiting the in vitro growth and biosynthesis of mycotoxins by and strains. The extracts were obtained by supercritical fluid extraction using CO (SC-CO). The effects of various concentrations (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%) were assessed on a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium using the "poisoning" technique. flower extracts reduced mycelium growth by 0 to 30.59% for and 27.71 to 42.97% for . Ergosterol content was reduced by up to 88.87% for and 93.17% for . Similarly, the amounts of synthesized mycotoxins produced by both strains were also lower compared to control cultures. These findings are a preliminary phase for further in vivo tests planned to determine the fungistatic effect of flower extracts on cereal substrates as seedlings incubated in controlled environments and under field conditions. Their phytotoxicity and biological stability, as well as the possibility of formulating a bio-preparation to protect cereals against infections, will be evaluated.
Topics: Humans; Fusarium; Carbon Dioxide; Mycotoxins; Edible Grain; Fungicides, Industrial
PubMed: 37999514
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15110651 -
Heliyon Feb 2024The Old World Vultures (OWV), constituting 16 species primarily in Africa, Europe and Asia, are currently being driven to extinction mostly by anthropogenic activities,...
The Old World Vultures (OWV), constituting 16 species primarily in Africa, Europe and Asia, are currently being driven to extinction mostly by anthropogenic activities, especially poisoning. The vulture losses from poisoning caused by human-related activities are at a single mortality event-level and occur in complex social-ecological systems. There has been a growing body of knowledge on wildlife poisoning over the years. However, no review has been done to consolidate vulture poisoning studies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with a social lens of conservation planning. Here we present a review of the vulture poisoning research by re-contextualizing the problem of vulture poisoning across SSA. We employed stepwise Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method to search for literature on vulture poisoning. The search yielded 211 studies which were trimmed to 55 after applying sets of eligibility criteria. Literature shows that efforts aimed at successful vulture conservation planning will require an understanding of the relational aspects of stakeholder social capital (assets) that are critical to the implementation of species recovery strategies. Strengthening relational social capital through multi-scale stakeholder evidence-based awareness creation and participation is necessary for addressing the African Vulture Crisis (AVC). Applying stakeholder social capital approaches to different vulture conservation scenarios at local, regional and international scales can enhance successful implementation of conservation strategies for the persistence of vultures in complex socio-ecological systems in African landscapes. Existing literature also showed the importance of stakeholder social capital as a countermeasure against vulture losses.
PubMed: 38333820
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25126 -
Nutrients Aug 2023We previously found that the continuous feeding of ethanol caused mice dysbiosis, in which the cecal microbiota were significantly altered, as compared with those in the...
We previously found that the continuous feeding of ethanol caused mice dysbiosis, in which the cecal microbiota were significantly altered, as compared with those in the non-feeding control group, especially in some bacterial genera involved in gut inflammation. In the present study, we have found that the fermented extract of stevia () leaves with plant-derived lactic acid bacteria (LABs), LY45, improves the trimethylamine (TMA) productivity of cecal content, which can be used as an indicator of dysbiosis. The following animal experiment also shows that the LY45-fermented stevia extract represses the typical increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, which decreased from 1106 to 210 IU/L ( < 0.05) and from 591 to 100 IU/L ( < 0.05), respectively, together with the simultaneously latent TMA productivity (from 1356 to 745 μM, < 0.05) of cecal content in the ethanol-fed mice. The microbiota analyses have shown that the observed increased alterations in pro-inflammatory genera putative (family Clostridiaceae) and are restored by the fermented stevia extract. Our result indicates that the preliminary bioconversion of herbal medicinal precursors by fermentation with safe microorganisms like LABs is expected to be a hopeful method of producing specific metabolites that may contribute to the reconstruction of gut microbiota.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Stevia; Dysbiosis; Ethanol; Clostridiaceae; Lactobacillales; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 37686739
DOI: 10.3390/nu15173708 -
Chemical Science Sep 2023Two-dimensional (2D) Pd nanosheet-based catalysts have recently garnered widespread attention due to their high atom utilization efficiency. However, their catalytic...
Two-dimensional (2D) Pd nanosheet-based catalysts have recently garnered widespread attention due to their high atom utilization efficiency. However, their catalytic ability and structural stability still require significant enhancement before they can be widely applied. In this study, we presented the rational design and controllable fabrication of a novel 2D/2D heterojunction, which consists of ultrathin Pd nanosheets (NSs) grown on the TiCT MXene surface (Pd NSs/MXene). This heterostructure was achieved through a robust and convenient stereo-assembly strategy. The newly developed Pd NSs/MXene heterojunction not only provides numerous exposed active Pd atoms with an optimized electronic structure but also enables an intimate Pd/MXene interfacial interaction, ensuring a stable hybrid configuration. Consequently, the resulting Pd NSs/MXene heterojunction exhibits exceptional methanol oxidation properties. It possesses a large electrochemically active surface area, high mass and specific activities, and a long operating life, which are significantly superior to those of traditional Pd nanoparticle/carbon and Pd nanosheet/carbon catalysts. Theoretical simulations further reveal strong electronic interactions between the Pd nanosheet and MXene, which dramatically enhance the adsorption energy of the Pd component and simultaneously lower its d-band center. As a result, the Pd NSs/MXene heterojunction is less susceptible to CO poisoning. This work introduces a new 2D/2D heterojunction based on MXene and noble metallic materials and holds significance for the development of other novel heterojunctions, particularly within the realm of 2D material nanoarchitectonics.
PubMed: 37736638
DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03735e -
Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the... 2024Recently, feeding damage by the olive weevil Pimelocerus (Dyscerus) perforatus Roelofs, which utilizes olive trees (Olea europaea Linne) as a host plant, has become the...
Recently, feeding damage by the olive weevil Pimelocerus (Dyscerus) perforatus Roelofs, which utilizes olive trees (Olea europaea Linne) as a host plant, has become the biggest obstacle to olive cultivation in Japan. We previously identified several volatile plant-derived natural products that exhibit repellent activity against olive weevils. In this study, we conducted a pilot test of repellents in an olive orchard along with the use of insecticide. During three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, the first year was the observation period, and the second and third years were set aside for a trial period for o-vanillin and geraniol as repellents, respectively. Using o-vanillin, the number of adult olive weevil outbreaks decreased to almost half a year in the experimental area, the use of geraniol then resulted in a drastic reduction of the number of individual olive weevils in the experimental area. In contrast, adults and larvae outbreaks increased in the control area without a repellent, despite the use of insecticide. These results indicate that the volatile repellents drove the olive weevils away and kept them at bay in the field. Based on the observations, we will be able to provide a new approach for the control of olive cultivation, including fruit and leaves used for commercial purposes, following integrated pest management (IPM) practices, such as reducing environmental poisoning from intense insecticides, and returning olive weevils to their original habitat outside of olive orchards.
Topics: Olea; Animals; Weevils; Insect Repellents; Pilot Projects; Acyclic Monoterpenes; Insecticides; Terpenes; Japan
PubMed: 38825476
DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.24-00031 -
The Science of the Total Environment Mar 2024The study deals with the environmental residues of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) in Slovenia to evaluate the toxicological risk of secondary poisoning of red foxes...
The study deals with the environmental residues of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) in Slovenia to evaluate the toxicological risk of secondary poisoning of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as representatives of non-target wildlife, and in relation to the investigated use patterns of ARs and specific local parameters in Slovenia. From 2019 to 2022, 148 liver tissue samples of adult red foxes were collected from almost all state geographical regions. The samples were extracted with methanol/water (2:1, v/v), cleaned-up using a solid supported liquid-liquid extraction, and measured by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) with reporting limits of 0.5 to 5.0 ng/g. Residues of at least one rodenticide were detected in 77.7 % of the samples. The second generation ARs of bromadiolone, brodifacoum and difenacoum were the most frequently found, appearing in 75.0, 51.4, and 18.9 % of the samples, respectively. Concentrations of pooled ARs ranged from 1.5 to 2866.5 ng/g with mean and median values of 601.4 and 350.2 ng/g, respectively. We determined bromadiolone and brodifacoum at concentrations of ≥800 ng/g in 10.8 and 10.1 % of the samples, and 1.4 and 0.7 % of the samples contained residues >2000 ng/g, respectively. These concentrations are much higher than those found in comparable studies in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Residues of ARs were detected in all monitored statistical regions of Slovenia, with higher concentrations in the eastern parts of the country. First generation ARs were found in only 9.5 % of samples, and residues were below 10 ng/g with one exception (coumatetralyl with 55 ng/g). The results of the study indicate a serious toxicological risk for red foxes in Slovenia as part of the Western Balkans, and will contribute to the growing body of knowledge about the protection of European ecosystems, as wildlife is not limited by national borders.
Topics: Animals; Anticoagulants; Rodenticides; Foxes; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Slovenia; Ecosystem; Liver; Animals, Wild; Balkan Peninsula
PubMed: 38307261
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170400 -
BMC Neurology Oct 2023Neurolathyrism is an upper motor neuron disorder characterized by spastic paraparesis, which is caused by the prolonged over-consumption of grass pea. It is a...
Prevalence of Neurolathyrism and its associated factors in Grass pea cultivation areas of Dawunt District, North-eastern Ethiopia; 2022: a community based multilevel analysis.
INTRODUCTION
Neurolathyrism is an upper motor neuron disorder characterized by spastic paraparesis, which is caused by the prolonged over-consumption of grass pea. It is a devastating disease with great impacts on physical, social, mental, and economical health.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of neurolathyrism and its associated factors in grass pea cultivation areas of Dawunt wereda.
METHODS
Community based cross-sectional study design was conducted from February 01- March 30, 2021 on 631 Households with a total of 3,350 individuals. Two-stage random sampling technique was used to select participants. Multilevel binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with neurolathyrism. Statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05; and AOR with 95% CI was used to interpret the results.
RESULTS
The household and population level prevalence of neurolathyrism in Dawunt district were 9.2% (7.2-11.7%) and 2.4% (2.0-2.3.0%) respectively. Age (AOR = 7.4 ( 2.6-20.6)), male sex (AOR = 7.8 (3.9, 15.4)), and marital status (AOR = 4.0 (1.3-12.8)) were the individual level variables; family size (AOR = 12.6 (3.0-52.8)), annual grass pea production (AOR = 5.0 (2.3-11.0)), ever feeding only grass pea (AOR = 8.8(3.5-22.2)), ever feeding immature seeds of grass pea (AOR = 6.28 (2.80, 14.08)), high grass pea to other cereals mixing ratio (> 3:1) (AOR = 6.1 (1.1, 33.5)) were the household level variables found to have significant association with neurolathyrism.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of neurolathyrism was found to be high. Ever feeding only grass pea, Grass pea to other cereals mixing ratio (using ratio of 1:1 or more), and Ever feeding immature grass pea seeds were the modifiable risk factors for neurolathyrism.
Topics: Humans; Male; Lathyrism; Lathyrus; Pisum sativum; Multilevel Analysis; Ethiopia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Prevalence
PubMed: 37798732
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-023-03379-0