Four-week repeated exposure to tire-derived 6-PPD quinone causes multiple organ injury in male BALB/c mice

N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6-PPDQ) is the ozonation product of tire antioxidant 6-PPD. 6-PPDQ can be detected in different environments, such as roadway runoff and dust. Although 6-PPDQ toxicity has been frequently assessed in aquatic organisms, the possible toxic effects of 6-PPDQ on mammals remain largely unclear. We here aimed to perform systematic assessment to evaluate 6-PPDQ toxicity on multiple organs in mice. Male BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with 6-PPDQ for two exposure modes, single intraperitoneal injection and repeated intraperitoneal injection every four days for 28 days. Serum, liver, kidney, lung, spleen, testis, brain, and heart were collected for injury evaluation by organ index, histopathology analysis and biochemical parameters. In 0.4 and 4 mg/kg 6-PPDQ single injected mice, no significant changes in organ indexes and biochemical parameters were detected, and only moderate pathological changes were observed in organs of liver, kidney, lung, and brain. Very different from this, in 0.4 and 4 mg/kg 6-PPDQ repeated injected mice, we observed the obvious increase in organ indexes of liver, kidney, lung, testis, and brain, and the decrease in spleen index. Meanwhile, the significant pathological changes were formed in liver, kidney, lung, spleen, testis, and brain in 0.4 and 4 mg/kg 6-PPDQ repeated injected mice. Biochemical parameters of liver (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)) and kidney (urea and creatinine) were all significantly upregulated by repeated injection with 0.4 and 4 mg/kg 6-PPDQ. After repeated exposure, most of 6-PPDQ was accumulated in liver and lung of mice. Therefore, our results suggested the risk of repeated exposure to 6-PPDQ in inducing toxicity on multiple organs in mice.

Novel edible coating based on shellac and tannic acid for prolonging postharvest shelf life and improving overall quality of mango

This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of a coating based on shellac and the active agent tannic acid (TA) on the storability and physiological variations of mangoes stored at room temperature. Results showed that TA-shellac prolonged shelf life and improved overall quality of mangoes to a higher extent compared with controls, which was reflected in the extension of shelf life for approximately 10 days, maintaining of tissue firmness and weight loss, slowing down of respiration rate, improvement of physical properties and chemical qualities, suppression of browning, reduction of lipid peroxidation, preservation of aromatic volatiles, and regulation of the related enzymes activities. Addition of TA to shellac coating also improved the antifungal effect of the formulation. The results suggest that a synergistic effect took place between TA and shellac, which demonstrates the high potential for shelf life extension and quality improvement of mangoes of this formulation.

An in vivo evaluation of acute toxicity of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles in larval-embryo Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The broad spectrum applications of CoFe2O4 NPs have attracted much interest in medicine, environment and industry, resulting in exceedingly higher exposures to humans and environmental systems in succeeding days. Their health effects and potential biological impacts need to be determined for risk assessment. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to environmentally relevant doses of nano-CoFe2O4 (mean diameter of 40nm) with a concentration range of 10-500μM for 96h. Acute toxic end points were evaluated by survival rate, malformation, hatching delay, heart dysfunction and tail flexure of larvae. Dose and time dependent developmental toxicity with severe cardiac edema, down regulation of metabolism, hatching delay and tail/spinal cord flexure and apoptosis was observed. The biochemical changes were evaluated by ROS, Catalase (CAT), Lipid peroxidation (LPO), Acid phophatase (AP) and Glutatione s- transferase (GST). An Agglomeration of NPs and dissolution of ions induces severe mechanical damage to membranes and oxidative stress. Severe apoptosis of cells in the head, heart and tail region with inhibition of catalase confirms ROS induced acute toxicity with increasing concentration. Increased activity of GST and AP at lower concentrations of CoFe2O4 NPs demonstrates the severe oxidative stress. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated the weak interactions of NPs with BSA and slight changes in α-helix structure. In addition, CoFe2O4 NPs at lower concentrations do not show any considerable interference with assay components and analytical instruments. The results are possible elucidation of pathways of toxicity induced by these particles, as well as contributing in defining the protocols for risk assessment of these nanoparticles.

Biochemical changes in phenols, flavonoids, tannins, vitamin E, β-carotene and antioxidant activity during soaking of three white sorghum varieties

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes in total phenols, flavonoids, tannins, vitamin E, β-carotene and antioxidant activity during soaking of three white sorghum varieties.

METHODS

The changes in total phenols, total flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids compounds, flavonoid components, vitamin E, β-carotene and antioxidant activity during soaking of sorghum grains were determined.

RESULTS

Total phenols, total flavonoids, tannins, vitamin E, β-carotene and antioxidant activity in raw sorghum were ranged from 109.21 to 116.70, 45.91 to 54.69, 1.39 to 21.79 mg/100 g, 1.74 to 5.25, 0.54 to 1.19 mg/kg and 21.72% to 27.69% and 25.29% to 31.97%, respectively. The above measured compounds were significantly decreased after soaking. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid and cinnamic acid represent the major phenolic acids in Dorado variety. While ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid and caffeic acid represent the major phenolic acids in Shandaweel-6. On the other hand, protocatechuic acid represents the major phenolic acids in Giza-15. Regarding flavonoids components, Dorado was the highest variety in kampferol and naringenin while Shandaweel-6 was the highest variety in luteolin, apigenin, hypersoid, quercetin and christen. Finally, Giza-15 was the highest variety in catechin. Phenolic acids, flavonoid compounds and antioxidant activities were decreased after soaking.

CONCLUSIONS

Sorghum varieties have moderate quantities from total phenols, total flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids compounds, flavonoid components, vitamin E, β-carotene and antioxidant activity which decreased after soaking.