• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.288-295
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• 2010

Metal exposure experiments using polychaete (Perinereis nuntia) as a bio-indicator of trace metals contamination were conducted to evaluate the bioaccumulation and the biomarkers responses such as metallothionein-like protein (MTLPs) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) which was simultaneously exposed to Cadmium (Cd) and Copper (Cu). Cu and Cd concentrations in polychaete were enhanced with increasing exposure time and their concentrations of aqueous medium. Initial accumulation of Cd was higher than that of Cu. Our results showed that the bioaccumulation of Cu and Cd were prohibited, especially at higher Cu levels, suggesting the different cellular uptake mechanisms when Cu and Cd are co-exist. Net accumulation rate of Cu was declined with exposure time but it did not show any significant change for Cd. Although the highest MTLPs concentration was observed at 6 hr of exposure time, it did not show any significant change related to exposure times and metals concentrations. An increase of GST activity tended to increase as a function of exposure time and metals concentrations. And GST activities in P. nuntia have similar tendency with bioconcentration factors in high concentration of Cu (treatment group IV) at post 24 h of exposure. Our results provide new information of the bioaccumulation and biomarker responses to understand the effects of co-existing contaminants (Cu and Cd) using polychaete. Further studies are required to elucidate the bioaccumulation and biomarkers responses for various contaminants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.161-168
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• 2010

White-skinned sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) has been traditionally used for diabetes treatment and management in many countries. In this experiment, methanol extract of white-skinned sweet potato (WSPMe) at a dose of 100 or 200 mg/kg body weight was tested to evaluate its effect on renal damage in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Its efficacy was compared with that of insulin secretogogue, glimepiride ($50\;{\mu}g/kg$ body weight). Experimental diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (45 mg/kg, i.p.) injection. The WSPMe and glimepiride were administered orally for 14 days and the effects on glucose, renal markers including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lipid peroxide (LPO) level, antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathion-S-transferase (GST) activities in kidney were studied. An increase in BUN, creatinine, LDH, glucose, LPO levels and decrease in SOD, CAT, GPx and GST features were observed in diabetic control rats. Administration of WSPMe at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight caused a significant improvement in blood glucose, LPO level, renal markers, lipid peroxidation markers and increased antioxidant levels in diabetic kidney. In conclusion, the WSPMe was found to be effective in reducing oxidative stress, thus confirming the ethnopharmacological use of I. batatas L. in protecting diabetes and its complications.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1569-1576
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• 2010

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is widely used in Indonesia and other countries as a traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). The MeOH extract of white skinned sweet potatoes (WSSP) was administered orally in doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Experimental diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (45 mg/kg, i.p.) injection. Oxidative stress was measured by tissue lipid peroxide (LPO) levels, serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), total triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and by antioxidative enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase in the liver. An increase in blood glucose, LPO level, AST, ALT, TG and TC levels was observed in the STZ-induced diabetic rats. Administration of MeOH extract of WSSP at a dose of 200 mg/kg for two weeks caused a significant reduction in blood glucose, LPO levels, AST, ALT, TG and TC levels in the STZ-induced diabetic rats. Furthermore, oral administration of MeOH extract showed significant improvement in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, and CAT) compared to STZ-induced diabetic rats. In conclusion, the obtained results clearly indicate the role of oxidative stress in the induction of diabetes, and that the protective effects of MeOH extracts of WSSP could be used to benefit diabetic patients.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.419-432
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• 2016

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of effluent discharge from a sewage treatment plant by evaluating oxidative stress and histopathological alterations in freshwater crucian carp Carassius auratus collected from the Eungcheon stream, located in Korea. Catalase activity in the gills, liver, and kidneys of C. auratus was collected from mixing zones; the downstream site was notably higher of fish than that of the upstream site. In addition, the activity of glutathione-S-transferase in the gills and liver was significantly higher in samples from the mixing zone than in those from the upstream site (p < 0.05). In addition, significantly elevated lipid peroxidation levels were observed in fish livers sampled from the mixing zone than in those from the upstream site (p < 0.05). Significant histopathological alternations were also observed in C. auratus, with the order of magnitude changes being liver > kidney > gills. These findings suggest that the liver is most affected by effluent discharge. The degree of tissue changes (DTC) indicate that the highest level occurred in samples from the mixing zone (30.98 ± 5.40) followed by those from the downstream site (19.28 ± 4.31) and was the lowest in samples from the upstream site (4.83 ± 2.67). These findings indicate that fish collected from the mixing zone are most affected by effluent discharge and both oxidative stress and histopathological indices are useful tools for monitoring contaminated rivers and streams.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1401-1407
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• 2019

To elucidate whether or not solvent-tolerant bacteria use anti-oxidative defense systems to defend themselves against toxic solvents, oxidative enzyme activity and total anti-oxidative capacity (T-AOC) were investigated in two tolerant strains of Pseudomonas sp. under toluene stress. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of solvent tolerant BCNU 106 exhibited relatively increased levels at a toluene concentration of 100 mg/l, where those of solvent tolerant BCNU 171 increased at 200 mg/l. A greater than three-fold increase in catalase (CAT) levels was observed at concentrations of 200 and 300 mg/l in BCNU 106, and a two-fold increase was monitored at the same concentrations in BCNU 171. High glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels were also observed in the solvent tolerant bacteria. Higher levels of T-AOC was expressed in the solvent tolerant strains than in the ordinary non-tolerant KACC 10266. The highest plateau of SOD in BCNU 171 was observed at 1 hr of toluene exposure. CAT levels plateaued at 1 hr and 14 hr in BCNU 106 and reached the highest plateau at 3 hr in BCNU 171. The highest peak of T-AOC occurred at 9 hr in BCNU 106, and two high peaks occurred in BCNU 171, at 1 hr and at 9 hr of toluene exposure. The solvent-tolerant bacteria showed active antioxidant responses and could survive under harsh environments, including the presence of solvents, through means of antioxidant defense systems.