Biomonitoring of toxic and essential trace elements in different tissues of fish species in Türkiye.

Concentrations of toxic and essential trace elements (Hg, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd, Mn, As and Se) were determined in different tissues (muscle, skin and liver) of three commercial fish species (Diplodus sargus, Zeus faber, Pomatomus saltatrix). The concentration of the elements was measured by ICP-MS. Arsenic was the most accumulated element in fish tissues. As concentrations in tissues of all fish species, except muscle and skin of John Dory fish, were higher than the maximum limits (MLs). The highest Se concentrations in all fish tissues were in found in the liver. Mn levels were higher than the maximum limits in all tissues of Sargoz fish, skin of John Dory fish, livers of Bluefish and Big Bluefish. In addition, Cr concentrations in tissues of all fish species were found to be higher than the maximum limits of FEPA and WHO.

Elements in Mediterranean mussels from Istanbul and exposure assessment.

In this study, concentrations of elements were determined in edible tissues of Mytilus galloprovincialis by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean levels (mg kg-1) of 0.67 for Cd, 6.9 for As, 0.79 for Pb, 2 for Ni, and 42.6 for Zn exceeded the maximum limits in the digestive glands. Also, the mean concentrations of Cd and As in muscle and of Cd and Ni in gills were above the maximum limits. The highest value was found for As in a digestive gland, with 65.4% of the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake. In addition, the lowest percentage belonged to Zn with 0.2% of PTWI in muscles and 0.3% of PTWI in gills of the mussels. Mercury concentrations were well below legal limits.

Phytochemical compounds and antiradical, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of the extracts from Hypericum scabrum L. Flowers.

Hypericum scabrum L. has been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases just as the other Hypericum species. In the present study, the antiradical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of water and ethanol extracts of H. scabrum flowers were investigated. Their phytochemical contents and composition were also determined. The water and ethanol extracts are better scavenged ABTS (97.89 and 98.99%) and OH radicals (96.36 and 97.33%); the water extract is better scavenged DPPH radicals (91.66%) than the standard antioxidant BHA (94.33, 85.19, 90.16%, respectively). Flowers of H. scabrum contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins and phytosterols, dominated by catechin, vanillic acid, vitamin K and ergosterol. The extracts exhibit a strong cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, HCT-116, and LNCaP cancer cell lines. It is found that their antimicrobial activities are higher than the standard antibiotics. These results indicate that H. scabrum flowers have potent antiradical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities.

Is ischemia-modified albumin a reliable tool for the assessment of acute pancreatitis?

PURPOSE: Oxidative stress has been implicated in several disorders, including acute pancreatitis (AP). Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), which reflects the ability to bind cobalt, has been found to be elevated in conditions of oxidative stress and tissue hypoxia. This study examined IMA and adjusted IMA levels in patients with AP, and examined the associations of IMA and adjusted IMA levels to the severity of AP. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 42 consecutive patients with AP and 43 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled. Serum samples were obtained from patients with AP on admission as well as 48-72 hours after hospitalization, and from the controls, at the time of enrollment. Adjusted IMA was calculated by multiplying the IMA value of each patient with the ratio of the patient's albumin value and the median albumin value of the study population. The severity of AP was assessed according to the modified Atlanta classification, and the patients were divided into 2 groups: mild AP and severe AP. RESULTS: The serum IMA and adjusted IMA values of patients with AP on admission and those of the controls did not differ (p=0.86 and p=0.99, respectively). The second measurements of IMA and adjusted IMA in the AP group were higher than the first measurements of both the AP group and controls (for all, p<0.01). Among the IMA measurements, only adjusted IMA on admission had the ability to predict the severity of AP. Severe AP was correlated with albumin, and the area under the curve of adjusted IMA values on admission was 0.746 for differentiating patients with severe AP from mild AP with statistical significance (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: It was shown that IMA and adjusted IMA levels rise with the progression of AP. Lower levels of adjusted IMA predict the severity of AP. Further studies with serial measurements of IMA are warranted to explore the indicative role of IMA in the course of AP.

The determination of the effect of some 1,3,4 thiadiazole derivatives on biochemical content (Fatty Acids, Sterols, Lipophilic Vitamins) in rat liver.

Thiadiazole derivatives and its metal compounds have antibacterial, antifungal, antitumoral, antiproliferative and antioxidant properties. In the study, the effects caused by thiadiazole ligand and its metal complexes upon the fatty acids and lipophilic vitamins in livers of rats were examined. The fatty acids in liver were specified by GC while the lipophilic vitamins were specified by HPLC. It was observed that the amounts of oleic acids (18:1, n-9) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) notably increased in the Mn complex group while the amounts of arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6) notably increased in the ligand group, compared to control group. The amounts of vitamin K2, vitamin D3 and α-tocopherol considerably increased in all groups compared to control group. It was noted that the amounts of α-tocopherol were elevated in both the Mn and Cr complex groups compared to control group. However, this elevation was matching with the amount in the same groups. Nevertheless, the amount of retinol was determined to be lower in the Mn complex group compared to other groups. Accordingly, it can be considered that thanks to the utilization of toxic metals such as manganese, cadmium and chrome, unsaturated fatty acids influenced the activities of the enzymes in liver tissue, which are in charge of fatty acid chain elongation.

Toxic and essential metals in Cyprinus carpio, Carassius gibelio, and Luciobarbus esocinus tissues from Keban Dam Lake, Pertek, Turkey.

In various tissues of Luciobarbus esocinus, Cyprinus carpio, and Carassius gibelio which were taken from Keban Dam Lake Pertek region's freshwaters, Turkey in January-February 2016, concentrations of mercury, nickel, lead, cadmium, arsenic, manganese, chromium, and cobalt were analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave digestion. In fish muscle mean chromium concentration (0.614 mg kg-1 in C. carpio muscle) was higher than the maximum limits as set by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organisation. Additionally, mean concentration of lead (0.380 mg kg-1 in C. gibelio muscle) was higher compared to the maximum limit as set by Turkish Standards. Furthermore, in the assessment of the potential health risk, estimated weekly and daily intake of all metals were considerably below permissible tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) and permissible tolerable daily intake values. As a result, consumption of these fish species from this region does not pose a problem on human health.

Biochemical evaluation of hydroxyurea derivative schiff bases in liver of rats.

In this study, it was aimed to examine the antioxidant and antihepatotoxic effects of hydroxyurea derivative Schiff bases on serum biochemical parameters (AST, ALT, LDH, urea, creatinine and total bilirubin) and antioxidant parameters (SOD, CAT, GPx, MDA). In this study, a total of 49 adult male Wistar rats was examined and they were divided into 7 equal groups. DMSO, which is diluted only with corn oil, was administered to control group. 25 mg / kg ligand, 25 mg / kg Schiff base - manganese, 25 mg / kg Schiff base-copper, 25 mg / kg Schiff base - zinc, 25 mg / kg Schiff base - nickel, 25 mg / kg Schiff base - cobalt complexes were administered to rats of experimental group subcutaneously for 15 days with three-day intervals throughout the test process. All specimens were killed by decapitation and their livers were extracted. According to the results obtained, ALT level was observed to be higher (P<0.05) in the Cu-L group compared to other groups. LDH level was observed to be higher (P<0.05) in the Cu-L and Co-L groups compared to other groups. SOD level was observed to be higher (P<0.05) in the Cu-L, Mn-L and Zn-L groups compared to other groups. MDA level was observed to be higher (P<0.05) in the Ni-L, Cu-L, Zn-L groups compared to other groups. In conclusion, it can be suggested that the determination of the pharmacological characteristics of them can be beneficial in numerous fields of application thanks to the antioxidant and hepatotoxic activities demonstrated by hydroxyurea derivative Schiff bases.

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Various Tissues of Some Fish Species and Green Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey, and Risk Assessment for Human Health.

In this study, concentrations of heavy metals were determined by ICP-MS in the edible tissues of common sole (Solea solea Linnaeus, 1758), whiting (Merlangius merlangus Linnaeus, 1758), silver sillago (Sillago sihama Forsskål, 1775) and muscle-exoskeleton of green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan, 1844), from the seas of Iskenderun Bay, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, in January-February, 2016. The lowest and highest mean concentrations of Mn, Cr, Cd, Ni, Hg, As, Pb, and Co in fish and shrimp' muscles were found, respectively, as follows: 0.166-0.382, 0.134-0.336, 0.005-0.008, 0.091-0.140, 0.026-0.228, 1.741-29.254, 0.087-0.110, and <0.0005-0.027 mg kg-1; in the skin and exoskeleton, the values were found, respectively, as 0.103-15.819, 0.301-0.778, 0.007-0.026, 0.115-0.513, 0.021-0.243, 1.548-17.930, 0.148-0.295, and <0.0005-0.140 mg kg-1. According to the results, mean concentrations of all metals in the muscles of fish, except for arsenic and chromium, were found to be below certain legal limit values, especially arsenic levels in shrimp that were found to be above all the legal limit values. Also, the hazard quotients (HQ) of individual heavy metals in fish and shrimp, except for As, revealed safe levels for human consumption. However, the HQ values of estimated inorganic As exceeded 1 in the muscles of shrimp (P. semisulcatus), which may constitute a risk to public health.

Analysis of certain fatty acids and toxic metal bioaccumulation in various tissues of three fish species that are consumed by Turkish people.

Concentrations of toxic metals (Mn, Ni, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr) in the muscle, skin, and liver of Mugil cephalus, Mullus barbatus, and Pagellus erythrinus which were purchased in large supermarkets of Elazig, and Mullus barbatus, which were caught on the sea of Iskenderun Bay, Turkey, were analyzed. Fundamental analyses were carried out by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after samples were prepared by microwave digestion. Mean metal concentrations in different tissues were varied in the ranges of Cd 4-426, Cr 116-4458, Mn 141-24774, Hg 9-471, Pb 96-695, and Ni 68-6581 µg kg-1, for wet weight. The investigated metal bioaccumulation in the muscles of fish species, in general, was lower than those in the liver and skin. This method was verified by NCS ZC73016 chicken trace element-certified reference material analysis. In addition, fatty acids in the muscles of three fish species were analyzed. According to the gas chromatography (GC) results of fatty acids, the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were found to be between 23.76 and 31.97%. The fatty acids' polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio was found to be between 13.67 and 30.71% and saturated fatty acids ratios were determined in the range of 24.06-32.30%. In all fish species, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ratio, which increase the value of these fish species, were high. These results show that these three fish species are good sources of fatty acids.

The investigation of some bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna subsp. monogyna Jacq).

AIM: The antioxidant and pharmacological effects of hawthorn have mainly been attributed to the polyphenolic contents. The aim of this research is to determine some bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties of hawthorn aqueous and ethanol extracts of leaves, flowers, and ripened fruits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this purpose, antioxidant activities of extracts were assessed on DPPH•, ABTS•+, superoxide scavenging, reducing power and ferrous metal chelating activity assays and phenolic content of extracts was determined by Folin-Cioacalteu's reagent. RESULTS: The flavonoids including rutin, apigenin, myricetin, quercetin, naringenin and kaempferol, were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography in the hawthorn extract. CONCLUSION: It was observed the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Crataegus monogyna subsp. monogyna fruits showed the highest activity in reducing power and metal chelating activity assays. In addition, it was determined that the aqueous flower extract showed higher flavonoid content than aqueous leaves extract. The antioxidant and pharmacological effects of hawthorn have mainly been attributed to the polyphenolic contents.

Total phenolic contents and free-radical scavenging activities of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) and grape products.

Grape is one of the world's largest fruit crops, with an approximate annual production of 58 million metric tons, and it is well known that the grape skins, seeds and stems, waste products generated during wine and grape juice processing, are rich sources of polyphenols. It contains flavonoids, phenolic acids and stilbenes. In this study, we tried to determine antioxidant properties and phenolic contents of grape and grape products (fresh fruit, seed, dried fruit, molasses, pestil, vinegar) of ethanol and water extracts. Antioxidant properties of extracts were investigated by DPPH(√), ABTS(√+), superoxide, H(2)O(2) scavenging, reducing power, metal chelating activity and determination of total phenolic contents. The seed extracts revealed highest ABTS(√+), DPPH(√), H(2)O(2) scavenging and reducing power activities. Furthermore, these extracts showed higher total phenolic contents than other grape product extracts.