Bioconcentration of zinc and its effect on the biochemical constituents of the gill tissues of Labeo rohita: An FT-IR study

In the present work, an attempt has been made to assess the bioconcentration and distribution of zinc on the selected organs of Labeo rohita and to study the effect of zinc exposure on the biochemical constitutions of gill tissues of L. rohita by using FT-IR Spectroscopy. The concentration pattern in the organs reveals that the liver is the prime site of metal binding and muscle accumulates least metal concentration. The accumulation profile is in the order: liver > gill > kidney > brain > bone > muscle. It has also been observed that the administration of chelating agent d-Penicillamine (DPA) reduces the zinc concentration in all tissues more effectively than the administration of the chelating agent Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid. The FT-IR spectra reveal that zinc exposure causes significant changes in the biochemical constitutions of the gill tissues. It causes an alteration in the protein secondary structures by decreasing the α-helix and increasing the β-sheet contents. Further, it has been observed that the administration of chelating agent DPA improves the protein and lipid contents in the gill tissues compared to zinc exposed tissues. This result shows that DPA is the effective chelator of zinc in reducing the body burden of L. rohita fingerlings. In conclusion, the findings of the current study suggest that zinc exposure causes significant changes in both lipids and proteins of the gill tissues, and changes the protein profile in favour of β-sheet structure.     

Arsenic-Induced Biochemical Changes in Labeo rohita Kidney: An FTIR Study

ABSTRACT

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal that occurs naturally in water, soil, and air. It is widespread in the environment as a consequence of both anthropogenic and natural processes. In the current study, an attempt has been made to analyze the arsenic-induced molecular changes in macromolecular components like proteins and lipids in the kidney tissues of edible fish Labeo rohita using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The FTIR spectrum of kidney tissue is quite complex and contains several bands arising from the contribution of different functional groups. The detailed spectral analyses were performed in three distinct wave number regions, namely 3600–3050 cm^?1, 3050–2800 cm^?1, and 1800–800 cm^?1. The current study shows that the kidney tissues are more vulnerable to arsenic intoxication. FTIR spectra reveal significant differences in both absorbance intensities and areas between control and arsenic-intoxicated kidney tissues; this result indicates that arsenic intoxication induces significant alteration on the major biochemical constituents such as lipids and proteins and leads to compositional and structural changes in kidney tissues at the molecular level. The current study confirms that FTIR spectroscopy can be successfully applied to toxicologic and biological studies.     

Determination of the branching ratio ofρ 0→+μ− in the coherent dissociation π−→μ+μ−π− and π−→π+π−π−

In the diffraction dissociation of π^? into μ⁺μ^?π^? on a Cu nucleus at 50 GeV/c, the cross section \(\sigma _{\mu ^ + \mu ^ - \pi ^ - } \) for the 1⁺S(ρ⁰π) wave was measured. The branching ratio of ρ⁰→μ⁺μ^? could be calculated from the ratio of this and the corresponding cross sections in the diffraction dissociation of π^? into π⁺π^?π^?. The obtained value \(BR_{\rho ^0 \to \mu ^ + \mu ^ - } = (4.6 \pm 0.2_{stat^ \pm } \pm 0.2_{syst} )10^{ - 5} \) is in good agreement with the branching ratio \(BR_{\rho ^0 \to e^ + e^ - } \) , as expected ifeμ universality holds.     

The effect of arsenic exposure on the biochemical and mineral contents of Labeo rohita bones: An FT-IR study

Arsenic compounds are ubiquitous and widespread in the environment as a result of natural or anthropogenic occurrence. Fish are the major source of protein for human consumption. They are also a source of contamination, because of the amounts of heavy elements they can contain, some of which are highly toxic. Fish bones are high in calcium, which is an essential mineral for normal body function. It consists of water, organic material, and mineral matter. Chelating agents have been used clinically as antidotes for acute and chronic metal intoxications. In the present study, an attempt is made to investigate the bio-accumulation of arsenic and its effect on the biochemical and mineral contents of Labeo rohita bones using, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results of the present study indicate that arsenic exposure induces significant reduction on the biochemical and mineral contents of the L. rohita bones. Further, the DMSA treatment significantly improves these levels. This shows that DMSA is an effective chelator for arsenic toxicity. Quantitative curve-fitting analyses of amide I band have proved useful in studying the nature and the extent of protein conformational changes. A decrease in α-helical and random coil structures and an increase in β-sheet structures have been observed due to arsenic exposure. In conclusion, the present study shows that the FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with second derivative and curve-fitting analysis gives useful information about the biochemical and mineral contents of the L. rohita bones.