Modulation of antioxidant and detoxifying capacity in fish Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) after treatment with nanocapsules containing lipoic acid.

Lipoic acid (LA) is a water- and lipid-soluble molecule with capacity to pass through cell membranes and with several antioxidant properties. Previous studies have shown that polymeric nanocapsules with LA favor the protection of this antioxidant, increasing their physical and chemical stability compared to formulations containing free LA. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of free LA and LA-nanocapsules on antioxidant enzymes, the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) and a by-product of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), as well as the expression of gene coding for different forms of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in model fish. For this, carp Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) were exposed (i.p.) to different forms of LA (free and in nanocapsules) for different times (48h, 96h and 1week) and the brain, liver and muscle were analyzed. Results indicated that the organs respond differently depending on the time and form in which LA was delivered. After 96h and 1week, a better antioxidant response was found generally in the formulation with nanocapsules. The nanocapsule composition showed to be a factor to be considered in future studies, because in some organs and exposure times empty nanocapsules promoted an antioxidant effect and in others a pro-oxidant effect.

Effects of carbon nanomaterials fullerene C60 and fullerol C60(OH)18₋22 on gills of fish Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

In consequence of their growing use and demand, the inevitable environmental presence of nanomaterials (NMs) has raised concerns about their potential deleterious effects to aquatic environments. The carbon NM fullerene (C60), which forms colloidal aggregates in water, and its water-soluble derivative fullerol (C60(OH)18₋22), which possesses antioxidant properties, are known to be photo-excited by ultraviolet (UV) or visible light. To investigate their potential hazards to aquatic organisms upon exposure to UV sunlight, this study analyzed (a) the in vitro behavior of fullerene and fullerol against peroxyl radicals (ROO) under UV-A radiation and (b) the effects of these photo-excited NMs on oxidative stress parameters in functional gills extracted from the fish Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae). The variables measured were the total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation (TBARS), the activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase (GR) and glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), and the levels of the non-enzymatic antioxidant glutathione (GSH). The obtained results revealed the following: (1) both NMs behaved in vitro as antioxidants against ROO in the dark and as pro-oxidants in presence of UV-A, the latter effect being reversed by the addition of sodium azide, which is a singlet oxygen (¹O2) quencher; (2) fullerene induced toxicity with or without UV-A incidence, with a significant (p<0.05) increase in lipid peroxidation (with greater damage under illumination), a decrease in GCL activity, and the depletion of GSH stocks (under illumination), all of which were attributed to ¹O2 generation; and (3) fullerol also decreased GCL activity and GSH formation (p<0.05) but without lipid damage. The overall results show that fullerene can be toxic with or without light incidence, whereas UV radiation seems to play a key role in the environmental toxicity of carbon NMs through ¹O2 formation.