Experimental and computational assessment of Antiparkinson Medication effects on meiofauna: Case study of Benserazide and Trihexyphenidyl.

Two concentrations (6.25 and 1.25 mg/L) were used for two Parkinson's disease medications, Benserazide, and Trihexyphenidyl, to test their effects on the meiobenthic nematofauna. It is predicted that these highly hydrosoluble drugs will end up in marine environments. The results showed that both medications when added alone, induced (i) important changes in the numbers and (ii) taxonomic composition. The impact of Benserazide and Trihexyphenidyl was also reflected in the (iii) functional traits of nematofauna, with the most affected categories following exposure being the trophic group 1B, the clavate tails, the circular amphids, the c-p2 life history, and the body length of 1-2 mm. These results were supported by the molecular interactions of the studied drugs with both GLD-3 and SDP proteins of Caenorhabditis elegans. (iv) The mixtures of both drugs did not show any changes in the nematode communities, suggesting that no synergistic or antagonistic interactions exist between them.

Doping zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles with gold induces additional oxidative stress, membrane damage, and neurotoxicity in Mytilus galloprovincialis: Results from a laboratory bioassay.

BACKGROUND: While previous studies have provided insights into the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) on aquatic organisms, there is still a substantial amount of information lacking about the possible effects of their doped counterparts. The goal of the current work was to address this gap by examining Mytilus galloprovincialis reaction to exposure to doped and undoped nanoparticles. METHODS: Two concentrations (50 or 100 µg/L) of undoped ZnO and TiO2 NPs, as well as their gold (Au) doped counterparts, were applied on mussels for 14 days, and the effects on biomarkers activities in digestive glands and gills were assessed by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: The NPs were quasi-spherical in shape (below 100 nm), stable in seawater, and with no aggregation for both doped and undoped forms. Analytical results using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy indicated the uptake of NPs in mussels. Furthermore, it was found that biometal dyshomeostasis could occur following NP treatment and that doping the NPs aggravated this response. At the biochemical level, exposure to undoped NPs caused membrane damage, neurotoxic effect, and changes in the activities in the gills and digestive glands of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione-S-transferase, in a concentration and organ-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Doping ZnO NPs and TiO2NPs with Au induced additional oxidative stress, membrane damage, and neurotoxicity in mussels.