Characterization and Purification of Glutathione S-Transferase from the Liver and Gill Tissues of Ağrı Balık Lake Trout Salmo trutta labrax and the Effects of Heavy Metal Ions on Its Activity

Characterization of glutathione S-transferase enzyme from brown meagre (Sciaena umbra) and inhibitory effects of heavy metals

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) detoxifies a broad spectrum of xenobiotics, especially in chemotherapeutic drugs, endogenous molecules, and environmental pollutants. Since the enzyme metabolizes toxic compounds, it has been extensively studied in many living things including aquatic organisms. In the current study, the GST enzyme was purified from brown meagre (Sciaena umbra) muscle tissue for the first time. Then, kinetic parameters of the enzyme were determined as optimum ionic strength: 20 mM Tris/HCl, optimum pH: 7.0 (Tris/HCl), and optimum substrate concentration: 3.125 mM. Eventually, inhibitory effects of the heavy metals were evaluated. IC₅₀ values of the tested metal ions were calculated to be 0.1112, 0.6113, 0.727, and 0.7774 mM for Cd²⁺ , Fe³⁺ , Ag⁺ , and Cu²⁺ , respectively. Our results show that these heavy metals inhibit GST at very low concentrations which could cause dangerous results for aquatic systems.

Development of affinity between target analytes and substrates in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for environmental pollutant detection

Environmental pollution has long been a social concern due to the variety of pollutants and their wide distribution, persistence and being detrimental to health. It is therefore necessary to develop rapid and sensitive strategies to trace and detect these compounds. Among various detection methodologies, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has become an attractive option as it enables accurate analyte identification, simple sample preparation, rapid detection and ultra-high sensitivity without any interference from water. For SERS detection, an essential yet challenging step is the effective capture of target analytes onto the surface of metal nanostructures with a high intensity of enhanced electromagnetic field. This review has systematically summarized recent advances in developing affinity between targets and the surface of SERS substrates via direct adsorption, hydrophobic functional groups, boronate affinity, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), DNA aptamers and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). At the end of this review, technical limitations and outlook have been provided, with suggestions on optimizing SERS techniques for real-world applications in environmental pollutant detection.

Inhibitory properties of some heavy metals on carbonic anhydrase I and II isozymes activities purified from Van Lake fish (Chalcalburnus Tarichi) gill

In this study, CA I and II isoenzymes were purified from Van Lake fish gills by using Sepharose-4B-L-tyrosine-sulfanilamide affinity chromatography and to determine the effects of some metals on the enzyme activities. For purified CA I isoenzyme, yield, specific activity, and purification fold were obtained as 42.07%, 4948.12 EU/mg protein, and 116.61 and for CA II isoenzyme, 7%, 1798.56 EU/mg protein, and 42.38 respectively. Activity of CA was determined by measuring "CO₂-hydratase activity". Purity control was checked by SDS-PAGE. In vitro inhibitory effect of Cu²⁺, Ag⁺, Cd²⁺, Ni²⁺ metal ions, and arsenic (V) oxide were also examined for both isozymes activities. Whereas Cu²⁺, Ag⁺, Cd²⁺, and Ni²⁺ ions showed inhibitory effects on both isozymes, arsenic (V) oxide showed activation effect. IC₅₀ values were calculated by drawing activity %-[I] graphs for metal ions exhibiting inhibitory effects. IC₅₀ values were determined as 3.39, 6.38, 13.52, and 206 μM for CA I isozyme and 6.16, 20.29, 46, and 223 μM for CA II isozyme respectively.

Subacute Toxicity Effects of Deltamethrin on Oxidative Stress Markers in Rainbow Trout

Deltamethrin is a pyrethroid insecticide that is considered extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. We evaluated the effect of subacute doses (0.033, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg) of deltamethrin on micronucleus frequency and oxidative stress markers in Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 d after intracoelomic injection. No genotoxic damage was recorded, as no specimen showed a micronucleus number above the physiological range. Deltamethrin exposure elicited a transient reduction in the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase and a persistent decrease in glutathione reductase activity. Overall, the lower antioxidant enzyme activity in the deltamethrin-treated fish was mainly dose-dependent. Received May 27, 2016 accepted June 18, 2017.

In Vivo Effects of Naringenin and Lead on Rat Erythrocyte Carbonic Anhydrase Enzyme

OBJECTIVES

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme catalyses the reversible reactions of CO2 with water and takes part in metabolically important events such as systemic acid-base regulation and respiration. In this study, in vivo effects of lead, which is a heavy metal and to which living beings are exposed by different ways, with naringenin, a flavanone, were investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For this purpose, four different rat groups were established and one of them was chosen as the control group. The other three groups were given lead, naringenin and lead+naringenin substances to analyze the changes in the CA enzyme of rat erythrocytes.

RESULTS

The research findings showed that the enzyme activity in the control group was higher than that in the other groups. The naringenin group showed the highest inhibition effect, while the lead group showed the lowest inhibition.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, it can be said that naringenin is a strong inhibitor of the CA enzyme.