Changes in Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Elemental Profiling of Abutilon indicum L. Subjected to Copper Stress

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - The effects of Cu stress on the alterations in the activities of antioxidant enzymes from both leaf and root...     

PIXE analysis of trace elements in relation to chlorophyll concentration in Plantago ovata Forsk

Plantago ovata Forsk – an economically important medicinal plant – was analyzed for trace elements and chlorophyll in a study of the effects of gamma radiation on physiological responses of the seedlings. Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique was used to quantify trace elements in unirradiated and gamma-irradiated plants at the seedling stage. The experiments revealed radiation-induced changes in the trace element and chlorophyll concentrations.     

Elemental alteration, iron overloading and metallothionein induction in experimental hepatocarcinogenesis: a free radical-mediated process?

The azo-dye p-dimethylaminoazobenzene (p-DAB) is a potential tumor initiator in rodents, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. Following chronic feeding of the carcinogen for 3, 5 and 7 weeks, trace elemental status, free radical generation, oxidative damage, antioxidant profile were measured in male and female swiss albino mice. The feeding resulted in iron accumulation in male mice liver. No increase in iron level was observed in similarly exposed female mice. The results of this study suggest that p-DAB-induced iron accumulation in male mice with concomitant production of oxidative free radicals is an early event in the hepatocarcinogenic initiation. This occurs selectively in male mice and affects either directly or indirectly in development of chemically induced liver neoplasia. Again, that upregulation of metallothionein (MT) expression in association with increased free radical generation was demonstrated in male mice. Alteration of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) levels are described in the light of antioxidant profile in liver tissue. The current results thus provide evidence in support of iron accumulations producing oxidative damage, and enhanced metallothionein expression as possible contributors in the mode of action of p-DAB induced hepatocarcinogenesis.