Tag: toxicity

Impact of heavy metals and Hsp Response

Baby Joseph, Jency George, M.V. Jeevitha

Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Malankara Catholic College, Mariagiri, Kaliakkavilai, Tamil Nadu, India

Key words: Heavy metal, heat shock protein, toxicity, animals, fish and human.

fpls-06-01143-g004Abstract

Heavy metals are natural constituents of the earth’s crust, but indiscriminate human activities have drastically altered their geochemical cycles and biochemical balance. Heavy metals such as Iron, copper, Zinc, Nickel, Molybdenum are essential for normal biological functioning. Heavy metals such as Mercury, Lead, and Cadmium are biologically non-essential, but are important metals for industrial applications. Prolonged exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc can cause deleterious health effects in plants, fishes and humans. Higher concentrations of both essential and non-essential metals disturb normal biological functions and which evoke cellular stress responses. Prolonged exposure of heavy metals induces heat shock proteins in plants, animals and fishes. Heat shock proteins are expressed in response to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stressors. Heat shock proteins are a family of highly conserved cellular proteins present in all organisms including fish, plant and humans. This review focus the toxic effects of heavy metals and the significance of heat shock proteins in response to stress in plant, fish and human.

Get the original articles in Source: Volume 2, Number 9, September 2012 – IJB

Published By: International Journal of Biosciences (IJB)

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The toxicity, ways of exposure and effects of Cu nanoparticles and Cu bulk salts on different organisms

Aasma Noureen, Farhat Jabeen

Department of Zoology, Wildlife & Fisheries GC University Faisalabad, Pakistan

Key words: Cu-NPs, fish, toxicity, nanotechnology, aquatic life.

Abstract

color_version.jpg1d99dbda-18a4-450e-ac86-18638e2da3b2LargeNanotoxicology is projected as an emerging branch of toxicology to address the gaps in knowledge and adverse health effects likely to be caused by nanomaterials. This branch of nanotoxicology would make an important contribution to the development of a sustainable nanotechnology and covers the physicochemical factors, routes of exposure, biodistribution, molecular factors, genotoxicity and regulatory aspects. It is also involved in proposing reliable, healthy, and safe test protocols for nanomaterials in human and environmental risk assessment. Some nanoparticles such as copper is harmful to aquatic life, a small fraction of its nanoparticles can dissolve in water and produce toxic impacts on fish and other aquatic life. Copper nanoparticles are widely used as antimicrobial (antiviral, antibacterial, antifouling, antifungal), antibiotic treatment alternatives, nanocomposite coating, catalyst, lubricants, inks, for filtration of air and liquid. Fish are vulnerable to copper nanoparticles because it can induce gill injury and acute lethality. They are also emitted as particulates from smelters, metal foundries, and as pollutant from asphalt and rubber tires. Their long-term biological consequences on aquatic species are still unclear so it is pertinent to assess the toxicity of Cu nanoparticles and Cu salt in aquatic life. In view of these facts the following review article presents the toxicity, ways of exposure and effects of Cu nanoparticles on different organisms in vivo and vitro.

Source:

* Pdf: http://www.innspub.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IJB-V6No2-p147-156.pdf