• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.10
• /
• pp.330-339
• /
• 2021

Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is a marine bivalve mollusk widely distributed in coastal areas, and have been long widely used in industrial resources. Several studies demonstrated that fermented oyster (FO) extract attribute to bone health, but whether administration of FO play as an endocrine disruptor has not been studied. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effect of FO on the endocrine system in vitro and in vivo. As the results of the competitive estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) binding affinities, FO was not combined with ER-α, ER-β, and AR. However, 17β-estradiol and testosterone, used as positive control, were interacted with ER and AR, respectively. Meanwhile, oral administration of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of FO doesn't have any harmful effect on the body weight, androgen-dependent sex accessory organs, estrogen-dependent-sex accessory organs, kidney, and liver in immature rats. In addition, FO supplementation has no effect on the serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, and 17β-estradiol. However, the relative weight of androgen- and estrogen-dependent organs were significantly increased by subcutaneously injection of 4.0 mg/kg of testosterone propionate (TP) and by orally administration of 1.0 ㎍ of 17α-ethynyl estradiol (EE) in immature male and female rats, respectively. Furthermore, TP and EE administration markedly decreased the serum LH and FSH levels, which are similar those of mature Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat. Furthermore, the testosterone and 17β-estradiol levels were significantly enhanced in TP and EE-treated immature rats. Taken together, our findings showed that FO does not interact with ER and AR, suggesting consequentially FO does not play as a ligand for ER and AR. Furthermore, oral administration of FO did not act as an endocrine disruptor including androgenic activity, estrogenic activity, and abnormal levels of sex hormone, indicating FO may ensure the safety on endocrine system to develop dietary supplement for bone health.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.34 no.7
• /
• pp.959-967
• /
• 2005

Lead is a ubiquitous environmental and industrial pollutant that causes a major health concerns. It is known to induce a broad range of physiological, biochemical, and behavioral dysfunctions in laboratory and humans, including hematopoietic system, kidneys, liver, and reproductive system. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Saengshik supplementation on the lead-induced toxicity in rats. Five week old male Sprague­Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups for six weeks as followings: control group (CT), lead acetate treated group (PT), and lead acetate groups administered with three different dosages of Saengshik $(SI2.5-12.5\%,\;S25-25\%,\;and\;S50-50\%).$ Lead acetate (12 mg/rat) was intragastrically administered daily for 6 weeks. The results were summarized as follows; Weight gain and food efficiency ratio were significantly lower (p<0.05) in lead administered group compared with those of the control group. Also, significant lead-induced alteration in blood hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and reticulocyte distribution width (RDW) were observed. In the liver of lead-exposed animals, there was an increase in the lipid peroxidation (MDA) and the level of glutathione (GSH), but superoxiede dismutase (SOD) activity did not change. Lead-exposed animals with $25\%\;and\;50\%$ Saengshik supplementation showed marked improvements in the values of MCH, MCV, and RDW. Also, the level of HCT was significantly increased by $50\%$ Saengshik supplementation. The levels of liver MDA in $12.5\%\;and\;50\%$ Saengshik administered groups and GSH level in $50\%$ Saengshik administered group were significantly decreased compared to the lead administered group. Also, hepatic SOD activity tended to increase in the presence of Saengshik supplementation. Furthermore, the accumulation of lead in liver and kidney was reduced by presence of Saneghshik supplementation. Liver lead concentration was significantly reduced by both $25\%\;and\;50\%$ Saengshik supplementations and kidney lead concentration was significantly reduced by the $25\%$ Saengshik supplementation. These results show that Saengshik may have a protective effect against lead intoxication but the mechanism of their effects remains unclear.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.207-215
• /
• 2020

Toxic assessment of antifouling agents (diuron and irgarol) was conducted using the fertilization and the normal embryogenesis rates of the sea urchin, Mesocentrotus nudus. Bioassessment began with male and female reproductive cell induction. White or cream-colored male gametes(sperm) and yellow or orange-colored female gametes (eggs) were acquired and fully washed, separately. Then, the fertilization and normal embryogenesis rates were measured after 10 min and 48 h of exposure to the toxicants, respectively. The fertilization and embryo development rates were greater than 90% in the control, validating the suitability of both endpoints. The normal embryogenesis rates were significantly decreased with increasing concentrations of diuron and irgarol, but no changes in the fertilization rates were observed in concentrations ranging from 0 to 40 mg L^-1. The EC₅₀ values of diuron and irgarol for the normal embryogenesis rates were 20.07 mg L^-1 and 22.45 mg L^-1, respectively. The no observed effect concentrations (NOEC) were <1.25 mg L^-1 and the lowest observed effect concentrations (LOEC) were 1.25 mg L^-1 and 2.5 mg L^-1, respectively. From these results, concentrations of diuron and irgarol over 1.25 mg L^-1 and 2.5 mg L^-1, respectively, can be considered to have toxic effects on invertebrates, including M. nudus. The ecotoxicological bioassay in this study using the noted fertilization and normal embryogenesis rates of M. nudus can be used as baseline data for the continued establishment of environmental quality standards for the effects of antifouling agents(especially diuron and irgarol) in a marine environment.