Highly Diluted Glyphosate Mitigates Its Effects on Artemia salina: Physicochemical Implications.

Glyphosate is an herbicide widely used in agriculture but can present chronic toxicity in low concentrations. Artemia salina is a common bio-indicator of ecotoxicity; it was used herein as a model to evaluate the effect of highly diluted-succussed glyphosate (potentized glyphosate) in glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) exposed living systems. Artemia salina cysts were kept in artificial seawater with 0.02% glyphosate (corresponding to 10% lethal concentration or LC10) under constant oxygenation, luminosity, and controlled temperature, to promote hatching in 48 h. Cysts were treated with 1% (v/v) potentized glyphosate in different dilution levels (Gly 6 cH, 30 cH, 200 cH) prepared the day before according to homeopathic techniques, using GBH from the same batch. Controls were unchallenged cysts, and cysts treated with succussed water or potentized vehicle. After 48 h, the number of born nauplii per 100 µL, nauplii vitality, and morphology were evaluated. The remaining seawater was used for physicochemical analyses using solvatochromic dyes. In a second set of experiments, Gly 6 cH treated cysts were observed under different degrees of salinity (50 to 100% seawater) and GBH concentrations (zero to LC 50); hatching and nauplii activity were recorded and analyzed using the ImageJ 1.52, plug-in Trackmate. The treatments were performed blind, and the codes were revealed after statistical analysis. Gly 6 cH increased nauplii vitality (p = 0.01) and improved the healthy/defective nauplii ratio (p = 0.005) but delayed hatching (p = 0.02). Overall, these results suggest Gly 6cH treatment promotes the emergence of the more GBH-resistant phenotype in the nauplii population. Also, Gly 6cH delays hatching, another useful survival mechanism in the presence of stress. Hatching arrest was most marked in 80% seawater when exposed to glyphosate at LC10. Water samples treated with Gly 6 cH showed specific interactions with solvatochromic dyes, mainly Coumarin 7, such that it appears to be a potential physicochemical marker for Gly 6 cH. In short, Gly 6 cH treatment appears to protect the Artemia salina population exposed to GBH at low concentrations.

LC/MS/MS analysis of quaternary ammonium drugs and herbicides in whole blood.

Quaternary ammonium drugs (atracurium, bretylium, edrophonium, ipratropium, mivacurium, neostigmine, pancuronium and rocuronium) and herbicides (difenzoquat, diquat and paraquat) in human whole blood were analysed by LC/MS/MS with positive electrospray ionisation (ESI), following extraction with Bond Elut LRC-CBA cartridges. Internal standards were benzyldimethylphenylammonium chloride monohydrate and ethyl viologen for drug and herbicide analysis, respectively. Ion-pair chromatography used heptafluorobutyric acid (15 mM)-ammonium formate (20 mM) buffer adjusted to pH 3.30 with formic acid and a linear gradient from 5 to 90% methanol run over 18 min. Recoveries ranged from 79.7 to 105.1%, detection limits were between 3.6 and 20.4 ng/ml and the intra- and inter-day precisions were less than 18.6% at a concentration of 10 ng/ml. The method was applied to a case of accidental paraquat poisoning in which the concentration of paraquat in blood was 0.64 mg/l, which is within the range associated with fatal paraquat poisoning.

Altas diluições de acetona afetam o crescimento de Avena sativa in vitro / High dilutions of acetone affect the Avena sativa growth in vitro

Introduction: Acetone is an organic solvent with molecular structure CH3(CO)CH3, its endogenous production in the animal body is called ketosis. The production of this compound increases with the fat. Acetone influences the lipid membrane, altering its fluidity and lipid composition [1], causing cell damage and leakage and can cause cell death. The use of herbicides in organic farming is not accepted by the Brazilian legislation [2]. So the weed control becomes a problem for organic farmers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the herbicide potential of high dilutions of acetone on Avena sativa L.(AU)

Introdução: A acetona é um solvente orgânico com estrutura molecular CH3(CO)CH3, sendo sua produção endógena no organismo animal chamado de cetose. A produção deste composto aumenta com a gordura. A acetona interfere na integridade da membrana lipídica, alterando sua fluidez e composição lipídica [1], causando danos às células e vazamento podendo causar a morte celular. O uso de herbicidas na agricultura orgânica não é aceito pela legislação brasileira [2]. Assim, a falta de controle de plantas daninhas torna-se um problema para os agricultores orgânicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o potencial de altas diluições de acetona em controlar o crescimento de Avena sativa L.(AU)

Effects of electrically transferred molecular information on the germination of garden cress / Efeitos de informação molecular transferida eletricamente sobre a germinação do agrião

We followed a hypothesis that biologically relevant information from various substances can be non-chemically transferred to organisms through a combination of a high voltage electric field that can stably imprint information into water or a water solution. A special device was constructed, and a thoroughly tested biological sensor system (i.e. cress seedlings exposed to a defined heat stress), was used. The results demonstrate a clear evidence of biological effects of electrically imprinted information of biologically active substances into water solution, however not necessarily with an obvious connection to the effects of the original (donor) substance. The growth reaction of cress seedlings was either stimulatory or inhibitory, depending on the time of the application.(AU)

Seguimos a hipótese de que informação biologicamente relevante de várias substâncias pode ser transferida de maneira não química a organismos, através da combinação de um campo elétrico de alta intensidade, que pode imprimir estavelmente informação na água ou sistemas aquosos. Foi construído um aparelho especial e foi utilizado um sistema sensor especial, amplamente provado (plantas de agrião expostas a estresse térmico definido). Os resultados demonstram evidência dos efeitos de informação eletricamente impressa de substâncias biologicamente ativas em soluções aquosas. No entanto, estes efeitos não estão necessariamente ligados aos próprios da substância original (doadora). A reação de crescimento das plantas de agrião foi ora estimulatória ou inibidora, dependendo do momento da aplicação.(AU)

Effects of electrically transferred molecular information on the germination of garden cress / Efeitos de informação molecular transferida eletricamente sobre a germinação do agrião

We followed a hypothesis that biologically relevant information from various substances can be non-chemically transferred to organisms through a combination of a high voltage electric field that can stably imprint information into water or a water solution. A special device was constructed, and a thoroughly tested biological sensor system (i.e. cress seedlings exposed to a defined heat stress), was used. The results demonstrate a clear evidence of biological effects of electrically imprinted information of biologically active substances into water solution, however not necessarily with an obvious connection to the effects of the original (donor) substance. The growth reaction of cress seedlings was either stimulatory or inhibitory, depending on the time of the application.

Seguimos a hipótese de que informação biologicamente relevante de várias substâncias pode ser transferida de maneira não química a organismos, através da combinação de um campo elétrico de alta intensidade, que pode imprimir estavelmente informação na água ou sistemas aquosos. Foi construído um aparelho especial e foi utilizado um sistema sensor especial, amplamente provado (plantas de agrião expostas a estresse térmico definido). Os resultados demonstram evidência dos efeitos de informação eletricamente impressa de substâncias biologicamente ativas em soluções aquosas. No entanto, estes efeitos não estão necessariamente ligados aos próprios da substância original (doadora). A reação de crescimento das plantas de agrião foi ora estimulatória ou inibidora, dependendo do momento da aplicação.