Rapid and simultaneous electrochemical method to measure copper and lead in canine liver biopsy

Assessment of In Vitro and In Vivo Bioremediation Potentials of Orally Supplemented Free and Microencapsulated Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS Strains to Mitigate the Chronic Lead Toxicity

Lead (Pb) is a pestilent and relatively nonbiodegradable heavy metal, which causes severe health effects by inducing inflammation and oxidative stress in animal and human tissues. This is because of its significant tolerance and capability to bind Pb (430 mg/L) and thermodynamic fitness to sequester Pb in the Freundlich model (R² = 0.98421) in vitro. Lactobacillus acidophilus KLDS1.1003 was selected for further in vivo study both in free and maize resistant starch (MRS)–based microencapsulated forms to assess its bioremediation aptitude against chronic Pb lethality using adult female BALB/c mice as a model animal. Orally administered free and microencapsulated KLDS 1.1003 provided significant protection by reducing Pb levels in the blood (127.92 ± 5.220 and 101.47 ± 4.142 µg/L), kidneys (19.86 ± 0.810 and 18.02 ± 0.735 µg/g), and liver (7.27 ± 0.296 and 6.42 ± 0.262 µg/g). MRS-microencapsulated KLDS 1.0344 improved the antioxidant index and inhibited changes in blood and serum enzyme concentrations and relieved the Pb-induced renal and hepatic pathological damages. SEM and EDS microscopy showed that the Pb covered the surfaces of cells and was chiefly bound due to the involvement of the carbon and oxygen elements. Similarly, FTIR showed that the amino, amide, phosphoryl, carboxyl, and hydroxyl functional groups of bacteria and MRS were mainly involved in Pb biosorption. Based on these findings, free and microencapsulated L. acidophilus KLDS 1.0344 could be considered a potential dietetic stratagem in alleviating chronic Pb toxicity.

Flexible and reusable carbon dot decorated natural microcline membrane: a futuristic probe for multiple heavy metal induced carcinogen detection

A flexible nano-engineered natural mineral (carbon dot doped natural microcline) based membrane (MCPV) has been developed, which can efficiently detect the presence of hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) and trivalent iron (Fe³⁺) ions in water by altering its fluorescence emission. Detailed characterization of the membrane was carried out using XRD, FT-IR spectroscopy, FESEM, TEM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Mechanical and temperature stabilities were also investigated. This new-generation sensor membrane is designed in such a way that it does not dissolve in water, keeping the water quality unaffected. The fluorescence studies were conducted at 414 nm and "turn-off" response was observed specifically for Fe³⁺ at 489 nm. A prominent red shift (530 nm) of the fluorescence maxima takes place when it comes to Cr⁶⁺. Figures of merit, such as LOD (8.7 μM for Cr⁶⁺ and 18.4 μM for Fe³⁺) and LOQ (29.1 μM for Cr⁶⁺ and 61.6 μM for Fe³⁺), were evaluated from the linear range (0-60 μM for Cr⁶⁺ and 0-30 μM for Fe³⁺) of the calibration curve (Stern-Volmer plots) showing high sensitivity of this sensing probe toward Cr⁶⁺ and Fe³⁺. Recovery and RSD calculations were done in various real-life water samples on intraday-interday basis to determine the accuracy of the sensor. This work validates the fact that the synthesized sensor membrane is capable of detecting these heavy metals in glutathione environment as well, which could be beneficial for early-stage carcinogen detection in living cells.