Albicanol antagonizes PFF-induced mitochondrial damage and reduces inflammatory factors by regulating innate immunity.

As an environmental pollutant, profenofos (PFF) can seriously endanger human health through the food chain. Albicanol is a sesquiterpene compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. Previous studies have shown that Albicanol can antagonize apoptosis and genotoxicity caused by PFF exposure. However, the toxicity mechanism of PFF regulating hepatocyte immune function, apoptosis, and programmed necrosis and the role of Albicanol in this process have not been reported yet. In this study, grass carp hepatocytes (L8824) were treated with PFF (200 µM) or combined with Albicanol (5 ×10-5 µg mL-1) for 24 h to establish an experimental model. The results of JC-1 probe staining and Fluo-3 AM probe staining showed increased free calcium ions and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in L8824 cells after PFF exposure, suggesting that PFF exposure may lead to mitochondrial damage. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot results showed that PFF exposure could increase the transcription of innate immunity-related factors (C3, Pardaxin 1, Hepcidin, INF-γ, IL-8, and IL-1ß) in L8824 cells. PFF up-regulated the TNF/NF-κB signaling pathway and the expression of caspase-3, caspase-9, Bax, MLKL, RIPK1, and RIPK3 and down-regulated the expression of Caspase-8 and Bcl-2. Albicanol can antagonize the above-mentioned effects caused by PFF exposure. In conclusion, Albicanol antagonized the mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and necroptosis of grass carp hepatocytes caused by PFF exposure by inhibiting the TNF/NF-κB pathway in innate immunity.

Toxicity bioassay and sub-lethal effects of profenofos-based insecticide on behavior, biochemical, hematological, and histopathological responses in Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Profenofos (organophosphate) is among the major toxicant polluting freshwater bodies, exerting a significant effect on fish health. The LC50 value of Profenofos (PRO) was resolved in Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) with average body weight (55.82 ± 5.42 g) and determined the 96 h LC50 value as 7.2 µg/L for the assay. Twenty-one-day exposures to 1.8 µg/ L and 3.6 µg/ L doses were conducted to evaluate the sub-lethal effects, and various toxicological endpoints were assessed on the 1st, 7th, 15th and 21st days of exposure. Acute toxic stress was observed with fish displaying behavioral toxicity. The most hematological change was extreme microcytic hypochromic anemia. Leucocyte count increased in experimented fish. Moderate neutrophilia, monocytosis and lymphocytosis were observed. Serum total protein, albumin, and globulin concentrations were significantly diminished. Overall, increments over control were recognized in serum urea, creatinine and acid phosphatase. However, serum glucose, total lipid, cholesterol, serum ALT and AST activity showed a significant decrease in fish exposed to both concentrations of PRO. Serum IgM concentrations insignificantly changed in treated fish except for on the 21st day of exposure to 3.6 µg/ L of PRO, while serum lysozyme significantly decreased. Furthermore, total protein, lipid and glycogen concentrations in muscles and the liver exhibited a decreasing trend at all concentrations. Moreover, histopathological alterations in the liver, kidney, and muscles occurred exclusively after treatment. From the obtained results, it is assumed that profenofos induced general toxic impacts under field conditions and might disturb ecologically relevant processes.

Magnetic-assisted exciton-plasmon interactions modulated Bi2S3 nanorods@MoS2 nanosheets heterojunction: towards a split-type photoelectrochemical sensing of profenofos.

A split-type photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor was designed for the detection of profenofos (PFF) depending on the magnetic-assisted exciton-plasmon interactions (EPI) between the semiconductor substrate and Au NPs. The core-shell Bi2S3 nanorods@MoS2 nanosheets (Bi2S3 NRs@MoS2 NSs) heterostructure nanomaterial with fascinating performance was synthesized and used as the photovoltaic conversion substrate and signal molecules absorption platform. The PEC sensor is operated by co-incubating with the released Au NPs-cDNA from the surface of magnetic beads, originating from the target-triggered DNA double-stranded structure opening event. Due to the strong EPI effects, the photocurrent of Bi2S3 NRs@MoS2 NSs decreased and varied with the PFF concentrations. The proposed PEC sensor exhibited outstanding analytical performances, including a wide linear range (1.0 pg mL-1~1.0 µg mL-1), low detection limitation (0.23 pg mL-1, at 3 σ/m), excellent specificity, high stability, and applicability. Overall, this work provides a new signal strategy for PEC biosensors and extends its application in environmental analysis.

Albicanol inhibits the toxicity of profenofos to grass carp hepatocytes cells through the ROS/PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis.

Profenofos (PFF) as an environmental pollutant seriously harms the health of aquatic animals, and even endangers human safety through the food chain. Albicanol, a sesquiterpenoid extraction from the Dryopteris fragrans, has previously been shown to effectively exhibit anti-aging, anti-oxidant, and antagonize the toxicity of heavy metals. However, the mechanism of hepatocyte toxicity caused by PFF and the role that Albicanol plays in this process are still unclear. In this study, a PFF poisoning model was established by treating grass carp hepatocytes cells with PFF (150 µM) for 24 h The results of AO/EB staining, Tunel staining and flow cytometry showed that the proportion of apoptotic liver cells increased significantly after exposure. The results of ROS staining show that compared with the control group, ROS levels and PTEN/PI3K/AKT-related gene expression were up-regulated after PFF exposure. RT-qPCR and Western blotting results showed that the expression of PTEN/PI3K/AKT related genes was up-regulated. These results indicate that PFF can induce oxidative stress in hepatocytes and inhibit the phosphorylation of AKT. We further found that the expressions of Bax, CytC, Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Caspase-8 and TNFR1 after PFF exposure were significantly higher than those of the control group, and Bcl-2/Bax was significantly lower than that of the control group. These results indicate that PFF can induce oxidative stress in hepatocytes and inhibit the phosphorylation of AKT and activate mitochondrial apoptosis. Using Albicanol (5 × 10-5 µg mL-1) can significantly reduce the above-mentioned effects of PFF exposure on grass carp hepatocytes cells. In summary, Albicanol inhibits PFF-induced apoptosis by regulating the ROS/PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Albicanol modulates oxidative stress and the p53 axis to suppress profenofos induced genotoxicity in grass carp hepatocytes.

The organophosphorus pesticide profenofos (PFF) is widely used as an environmental contaminant, and it can remain in water bodies causing serious harm to aquatic organisms. Albicanol is a sesquiterpenoid with potent antioxidant and antagonistic activities against heavy metal toxicity. However, the mechanism of PFF induced genotoxicity in fish hepatocytes and the role Albicanol can play in this process are unknown. In this study, the model was established by treating grass carp hepatocytes with PFF (150 µM) and/or Albicanol (5 × 10-5 µg mL-1) for 24 h. The results showed that PFF exposure arrested L8824 cells in the G1-S phase. PFF caused the increase of MDA level in L8824 cells, while the decrease of SOD, CAT and T-AOC levels caused oxidative stress. Elevated levels of γH2AX, tail moment, tail length, % DNA and 8-OHdG indicated that PFF caused DNA damage in L8824 cells. PFF inhibited the expression levels of cell cycle related regulatory genes (cyclin A, cyclin D, cyclin E, CDK2 and CDK4) by upregulating p53/p21 genes and activating the p53 signaling pathway. Albicanol was used to significantly reduce the above effects caused by PFF exposure on hepatocytes in grass carp. Albicanol could reduce the increase in the proportion of cells in the G1-S phase caused by PFF. In summary, Albicanol could inhibit the genotoxicity of L8824 cells resulted from PFF exposure by decreasing oxidative stress and the p53 pathway.

Interactions of organophosphorus pesticides with ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporters.

Although pharmaceutical companies have to study drug-transporter interaction, environmental contaminant interactions with these transporters are not well characterised. In this study, we demonstrated using in vitro transfected cell line that some organophosphorus pesticides are able to interact with drug efflux transporters like P-glycoprotein, BCRP and MRPs.According to our results, dibrom was found to inhibit only Hoechst binding site of P-gp with an IC50 closed to 77 µM, phosmet inhibited BCRP efflux with an IC50 of 42 µM and only profenofos was able to inhibit BCRP, MRPs and P-gp at two binding sites. As profenofos appeared to be a potent ABC transporter inhibitor, we studied its potential substrate property towards P-gp.Using a docking approach, we developed an in silico tool to study pesticide properties to be a probe or inhibitor of P-gp transporter. From both in silico and in vitro results, profenofos was not considered as a P-gp substrate.Combining both in vitro and docking methods appears to be an attractive approach to select pesticides that would not pass into the blood systemic circulation.

Dissipation and gas chromatographic method for the determination of profenofos residues in/on green pea and cucumber.

Herein we report a novel, accurate and cost-effective gas chromatography method for the determination of average deposits of profenofos on green pea and cucumber following good agricultural practices. Additionally the risk assessment, dissipation and waiting period for profenofos were determined. The average initial deposits (2 h after spraying) of profenofos in/on green pea and cucumber were 3.41 and 3.62 mg kg-1 respectively following two applications at a 10 day interval of profenofos 50EC formulation. Profenofos residues on both of the substrates were below the detection limit of 0.05 mg kg-1 after 20 days at the recommended dosage. For risk assessment studies, the 20th day will be safe for consumers for consumption of green peas. The gas chromatography method was validated according to the SANTE guidelines using the various analytical parameters: linearity, accuracy, detection and quantification limits. The developed method is simple, selective and repeatable and can be extended for profenofos-based standardization of pesticide formulations for green pea/cucumber and their use as pesticides.

Efficacy of rhizobacteria for degradation of profenofos and improvement in tomato growth.

Pesticides are widely used for managing pathogens and pests for sustainable agricultural output to feed around seven billion people worldwide. After their targeted role, residues of these compounds may build up and persist in soils and in the food chain. This study evaluated the efficiency of bacterial strains capable of plant growth promotion and biodegradation of profenofos. To execute this, bacteria were isolated from an agricultural area with a history of repeated application of profenofos. The profenofos degrading bacterial strains with growth-promoting characteristics were identified based on biochemical and molecular approaches through partial 16S ribosomal rRNA gene sequencing. The results revealed that one strain, Enterobacter cloacae MUG75, degraded over 90% profenofos after 9 days of incubation. Similarly, plant growth was significantly increased in plants grown in profenofos (100 mg L-1) contaminated soil inoculated with the same strain. The study demonstrated that inoculation of profenofos degrading bacterial strains increased plant growth and profenofos degradation. Novelty statementPesticides are extensively applied in the agriculture sector to overcome pest attacks and to increase food production to fulfill the needs of the growing world population. Residues of these pesticides can persist in the environment for long periods, may enter the groundwater reservoirs and cause harmful effects on living systems highlighting the need for bioremediation of pesticide-contaminated environments. Microbes can use pesticides as a source of carbon and energy and convert them into less toxic and non-toxic products. Application of profenofos degrading rhizobacteria in interaction with the plants in the rhizosphere can remediate the pesticide-contaminated soils and minimize their uptake into the food chain. Hence, this approach can improve soil health and food quality without compromising the environment.

Rapid biodegradation and biofilm-mediated bioremoval of organophosphorus pesticides using an indigenous Kosakonia oryzae strain -VITPSCQ3 in a Vertical-flow Packed Bed Biofilm Bioreactor.

The widespread use of pesticides has been one of the major anthropogenic sources of environmental pollution. Organophosphorus (OP) pesticides are predominantly used in agriculture due to their broad-spectrum insecticidal activity and chemical stability. The study was focused on the biodegradation of OP pesticides, Profenofos (PF) and Quinalphos (QP) in culture media using bacterium isolated from wetland paddy rhizosphere. The strain VITPSCQ3 showed higher pesticide tolerance, efficient biofilm formation and was capable of synthesizing organophosphate degrading enzymes. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing the isolate exhibited maximum sequence similarity with Kosakinia oryzae (GenBank accession number: KR149275). Biodegradation assay with various concentrations of PF and QP (200, 400, 600 and 800 mg L-1) showed maximum degradation up to 82% and 92% within 48 h. The kinetic studies revealed the biodegradation rates (k) to be 0.0844 min-1 and 0.107 min-1 with half-lives (h) of 18 h and 14.8 h for PF and QP. The degradation products were identified by GCMS and possible degradation pathways were proposed using Insilico techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the biodegradation of PF and QP using Kosakonia oryzae. Bioremoval of PF and QP from aqueous solution was performed using the biofilm of VITPSCQ3 developed on selected substrates in a circulating Vertical-flow packed-bed biofilm (VFPBB) bioreactor. Charcoal, gravel and mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) were used as biofilm carriers. Mushroom showed strong biofilm formation with optimum biodegradation capacity of up to 96% for PF and 92% for QP within 120 min reaction time.

Integrated gender-related effects of profenofos and paclobutrazol on neurotransmitters in mouse.

This study investigated the effects of paclobutrazol and profenofos on six neurotransmitters and their metabolites involving in cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurotransmission systems in mouse. The results revealed that profenofos decreased the levels of 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) and normetanephrine (MNE), and increased the level of dopamine (DA) in the mice after four weeks of exposure. The turnovers of serotonergic neurotransmission system (5-HIAA/5-HT) and noradrenergic neurotransmission system (MNE/NE) showed a decline under exposure of profenofos. Exposure to paclobutrazol resulted in decreases of 5-HIAA and MNE in both sexes of mice, and of 5-HT and ACh in the females. Similar to profenofos, the turnovers of serotonergic neurotransmission system and noradrenergic neurotransmission system decreased in the mice exposed to paclobutrazol. The integrated biomarker response (IBR) was introduced to comprehensively evaluate the neurotoxic effects of the two pesticides through integration of the responses of neurotransmitters. The results of IBR indicated that the overall effect of neurotransmitters increased at the beginning of exposure and then decreased in the end. It was also found that the order of neurotoxic effect for the two pesticides is as: paclobutrazol > profenofos referred to their LD50. Furthermore, the effects on neurotransmitters are higher in the males.

In vivo removal of profenofos in agricultural soil and plant growth promoting activity on Vigna radiata by efficient bacterial formulation.

This study evaluated the plant growth and profenofos (PF) removal efficiency of Acinetobacter sp.33F and Comamonas sp. 51 F bacteria as individual strains and in combination F1. Plant growth-promoting activities such as indole 3 acetic acid (IAA) production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, phosphate solubilization, ammonia production, and exopolysaccharide (EPS) production were observed in Acinetobacter sp. 33 F and Comamonas sp. 51 F. However, PGP properties observed were higher in Acinetobacter sp. 33 F as compared to the Comamonas sp. 51 F. In pot sand and pot soil studies, the physiological parameters such as sprout length, shoot length, root length, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids were higher for combination F1. PF degradation in pot sand and pot soil resulted in highest degradation by combination F1. In pot soil study, soil enzyme activities such as cellulase, dehydrogenase, urease, protease, and phosphate activities and root cross-section area, total stele area and xylem vessel area were recorded higher for the formulation F1. The study demonstrated that the together Acinetobacter sp. 33 F and Comamonas sp. 51 F as formulation has higher plant growth-promoting activities as compared to the individual bacteria.

Fate of the organophosphorus pesticide profenofos in cotton fiber.

Pesticides carried by cotton fiber are potential risk for production workers and consumers. Dissipation behaviour of a commonly used cotton pesticide profenofos in cotton fiber during growing period and scouring treatment was investigated. The results showed that profenofos in the fiber from the pre-opened and post-opened bolls both decreased to undetectable amounts 21 days after pesticide application. However, a minority of profenofos was converted to a strongly irritant compound, 4-bromo-2-chlorophenol and retained a non-negligible amount in cotton fiber even after 28 days. Profenofos and its degradation product could be completely removed during the conventional cotton scouring process. The degradation half-time of profenofos in scouring bath was only 3.0 min, and the degradation product was also 4-bromo-2-chlorophenol. Cotton products made of profenofos-carrying fiber are safe; however, the scouring waste should be detoxicated before discharge due to the accumulation of 4-bromo-2-chlorophenol in the scouring bath. These results could be useful for evaluating the risk of cotton fiber from the profenofos applied fields.

A hybrid material composed of a polyoxometalate of type BeW12O40 and an ionic liquid immobilized onto magnetic nanoparticles as a sorbent for the extraction of organophosphorus pesticides prior to their determination by gas chromatography.

The authors describe a method for the extraction of organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) by using a magnetically separable sorbent consisting of a polyoxometalate of type BeW12O40 supported on imidazole functionalized silica-coated cobalt ferrite. The sorbent was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron micrographs, vibrating sample magnetometry and FT-IR. The effects of the amount of adsorbent, pH value, salt concentration, extraction time, desorption solvent nature and volume and desorption time were investigated. Under optimal conditions, the method resulted in the following figures of merit: (a) the linear parts of the calibration plots typically extend from 0.08 to 300 µg mL-1 of OPPs; (b) detection limits are between 0.02 to 0.06 ng mL-1; and (c), extraction recoveries from spiked samples vary from 70.0 to 89.2%, with relative standard deviations between 5.4 and 7.6%. The nanocomposites can be reused up to 10 times. Compared to other methods for pretreatment and preconcentration of OPPs, the new method is more rapid, sensitive, accurate and eco-friendly. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the OPP residues in water samples and fruit juices. Graphical Abstract Schmatic presenation of the synthesis of core-shell magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of the type BeW12O40-ILSCCFNPs, and their application as sorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of organophosphorus pesticides.

DNA-Based Sensor for the Detection of an Organophosphorus Pesticide: Profenofos.

In this work, we propose an electrochemical DNA aptasensor for the detection of profenofos, an organophosphorus pesticide, based on a competitive format and disposable graphite screen-printed electrodes (GSPEs). A thiol-tethered DNA capture probe, which results to be complementary to the chosen aptamer sequence, was immobilised on gold nanoparticles/polyaniline composite film-modified electrodes (AuNPs/PANI/GSPE). Different profenofos solutions containing a fixed amount of the biotinylated DNA aptamer were dropped onto the realized aptasensors. The hybridisation reaction was measured using a streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase enzyme conjugate, which catalyses the hydrolysis of 1-naphthyl -phosphate. The 1-naphtol enzymatic product was detected by means of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The aptasensor showed itself to work as a signal off sensor, according to the competitive format used. A dose response curve was obtained between 0.10 μM and 10 μM with a detection limit of 0.27 μM.

Reductive transformation of profenofos with nanoscale Fe/Ni particles.

Profenofos is an abundantly used organophosphate pesticide in agriculture but its excessive use may lead to hazardous effects on environment. Thus, the present study focused on the reductive transformation of this pesticide in the presence of Fe/Ni bimetallic nanoparticles by optimizing the process parameters such as stirring time, nanoparticles dose, pH, and initial pesticide concentration. The results of reductive transformation were compared with photodegradation studies. It was found that with the increase in UV irradiation time, the percent degradation was increased. After 660 min, a 78% photodegradation of 100 µM solution of pesticide was observed. On increasing the initial pesticide concentration to 200 µM, the maximum degradation was achieved in 570 min, but here, only 73% degradation was observed. The rates of photodegradation observed with 100 to 400 µM solutions were 1.4 × 10-3, 1.5 × 10-3, 1.5 × 10-3, and 5 × 10-4 min-1 respectively.In case of reductive transformation carried out in the presence of Fe/Ni bimetallic nanoparticles, the degradation was observed to be increased from 78 to 93.9% in only 180 min. A further increase in pesticide concentration led to a decrease in degradation. Under these conditions, the rate of reaction was found to be 1.09 × 10-2 min-1. A 93% degradation of profenofos was further increased to 98% when the quantity of nanoparticles was increased twice; hence, a significant reduction in time of irradiation was observed. Reductive transformation of pesticide thus provided an efficient and cheaper method for reducing the burden of profenofos from the environment.

A simple HPLC-DAD method for simultaneous detection of two organophosphates, profenofos and fenthion, and validation by soil microcosm experiment.

Indiscriminate use of two broad spectrum pesticides, profenofos and fenthion, in agricultural system, often results in their accumulation in a non-target niche and leaching into water bodies. The present study, therefore, aims at developing a simple and rapid HPLC method that allows simultaneous extraction and detection of these two pesticides, especially in run-off water. Extraction of the two pesticides from spiked water samples using dichloromethane resulted in recovery ranging between 80 and 90%. An HPLC run of 20 min under optimized chromatographic parameters (mobile phase: methanol (75%) and water (25%); flow rate of 0.8 ml min-1; diode array detector at wavelength 210 nm) resulted in a significant difference in retention times of two pesticides (4.593 min) which allows a window of opportunity to study any possible intermediates/transformants of the parent compounds while evaluating run-off waters from agricultural fields. The HPLC method developed allowed simultaneous detection of profenofos and fenthion with a single injection into the HPLC system with 0.0328 mg l-1 (32.83 ng ml-1) being the limit of detection (LOD) and 0.0995 mg l-1 (99.5 ng ml-1) as the limit of quantification (LOQ) for fenthion; for profenofos, LOD and LOQ were 0.104 mg l-1 (104.50 ng ml-1) and 0.316 mg l-1 (316.65 ng ml-1), respectively. The findings were further validated using the soil microcosm experiment that allowed simultaneous detection and quantification of profenofos and fenthion. The findings indicate towards the practical significance of the methodology developed as the soil microcosm experiment closely mimics the agricultural run-off water under natural environmental conditions.

Degradation products of profenofos as identified by high-field FTICR mass spectrometry: Isotopic fine structure approach.

This study was performed to identify the degradation products of profenofos "a phenyl organothiophosphate insecticide" in raw water (RW) collected from the entry point of Metropolitan Water Works Authority "Bangkaen, Thailand" and ultrapure water (UPW) with and without TiO2 under simulated sunlight irradiation. Degradation of profenofos was followed with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and follows pseudo first-order kinetic. Accordingly, high-field FTICR mass spectrometry coupled to an electrospray ionization source was used to reveal the degradation routes of profenofos and the isotopic fine structures (IFS) elucidations to approve the chemical structures of its degradation products. More degradation products were detected in UPW as compared to RW. Consequently, two main degradation pathways namely (i) interactive replacements of bromine and hydrogen by hydroxyl functional groups and (ii) rupture of PO, PS, CBr and CCl bonds were observed. None interactive replacement of chlorine by hydroxyl functional group was detected. Accordingly, mechanistical pathways of the main degradation products were established.

Enantioselective apoptosis and oxidative damage induced by individual isomers of profenofos in primary hippocampal neurons.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the apoptosis-related cytotoxic effects and molecular mechanisms of individual isomers of profenofos (PFF) on primary hippocampal neurons at 1.0 to 20 mg L-1. The cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) efflux indicated that (-)-PFF exposure was associated with more toxic effects than (+)-PFF above the concentration of 5 mg L-1 (P < 0.5). Flow cytometric results showed that the percentages of apoptotic cells incubated with 20 mg L-1 (-)-PFF, (+)-PFF and rac-PFF for 24 h reached 23.4%, 9.2% and 14.2% (P < 0.01), respectively. Hippocampal neurons incubated with (-)-PFF, (+)-PFF and rac-PFF exhibited a dose-dependent accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and a dose-dependent inhibition of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, implying that the defense system of the tests induces oxidative damage. A statistically significant difference was observed between the two enantiomers at 5 mg L-1 and above. Moreover, the results showed that (-)-PFF exposure caused a significant loss in mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MMP), an upregulation of Ca2+ and Bax protein expression, a downregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression, and the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in a dose-dependent manner; (+)-PFF and rac-PFF exhibited these effects to a lesser degree. All results suggest that PFF induced apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons via the mitochondria-mediated pathway, and oxidative stress is one of the factors of PFF-induced apoptosis. In addition, (-)-PFF appears to play an important role in oxidative stress and apoptosis, indicating that enantioselectivity should be considered when assessing ecotoxicological effects and health risks of chiral pesticides.

Profenofos induced modulation in physiological indices, genomic template stability and protein banding patterns of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

To understand the mechanism underlying organophosphate pesticide toxicity, cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120 was subjected to varied concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg L(-1)) of profenofos and the effects were investigated in terms of changes in cellular physiology, genomic template stability and protein expression pattern. The supplementation of profenofos reduced the growth, total pigment content and photosynthetic efficiency of the test organism in a dose dependent manner with maximum toxic effect at 30 mg L(-1). The high fluorescence intensity of 2', 7' -dichlorofluorescin diacetate and increased production of malondialdehyde confirmed the prevalence of acute oxidative stress condition inside the cells of the cyanobacterium. Rapid amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting and SDS-PAGE analyses showed a significant alteration in the banding patterns of DNA and proteins respectively. A marked increase in superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase activity and a concomitant reduction in glutathione content indicated their possible role in supporting the growth of Anabaena 7120 up to 20 mg L(-1). These findings suggest that the uncontrolled use of profenofos in the agricultural fields may not only lead to the destruction of the cyanobacterial population, but it would also disturb the nutrient dynamics and energy flow.

Multipesticide residue levels in UHT and raw milk samples by GC-µECD after QuEChER extraction method.

In the present study, milk samples including raw and ultra-high temperature (UHT) processed milk were analyzed for pesticide residue levels, including five pesticides, viz chloripyrifos, endosulfan (α and ß), profenofos and bifenthrin by gas chromatography microelectron capture detector (GC-µECD) after extraction by QuEChERS method. Further confirmation of the pesticide residue was done by GC-MS. The pesticide residual level in raw and UHT milk samples (n = 70) was determined in the range of 0.1-30 µg L(-1). All UHT processed milk samples contain pesticide residues within permissible limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO); however, among raw milk samples, chloripyrifos (12 %), α (24 %), and ß (14 %) endosulfan were found above the maximum residue limit (MRL). The estimated daily intake (EDI) of these four pesticide residues were also calculated as 1.32, 16.16, 5.30, 10.20, and 9.93 µg kg(-1) body weight for chloripyrifos, endosulfan α, profenofos, endosulfan ß, and bifenthrin, respectively. It is concluded that the raw milk samples showed higher prevalence of pesticide residues as compared to UHT processed milk. Graphical abstract Determination of pesticide residues in dairy milk by GC-µECD after QuEChERS extraction method.