Antioxidant efficacy of extracts from a variety of seaweeds in a cellular system

As a part of an ongoing search for antioxidants frodm marine sources, antioxidant activities of 24 kinds of seaweeds (4 green algae, 8 brown algae, and 12 red algae) were investigated. The seaweeds were extracted by acetone/ dichloromethane and methanol, respectively. The antioxidant properties of both extracts were evaluated using four different activity tests, including degree of occurrence of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), NO, lipid peroxidation, and GSH (glutathione) in mouse macrophage Raw 264.7 cells. The levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and GSH were measured using 2’,7’-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCF-DA) and monobromobimane as fluorescence probe, respectively. Moreover, the generation of NO and lipid peroxidation products were determined by each method based on the Griess reaction and TBARS assay. Solvent extracts from seaweeds such asScytosiphon lomentaria, Prionitis cornea, Laruencia okamurae,Callophyllis japonica, Sargassum horneri, Dictyopteris divaricat a,Lomentaria catenata, Corallina confuse, Ishige okamurae, andAhnfeltiopsis flabelliformi exhibited high antioxidant activities in cellular oxidizing systems.     

Lipid analysis of a ground sloth coprolite

Coprolites can provide detailed information about the nutritional habits and digestive processes of the animals that produced them and may also yield information about the palaeoenvironment in which the animal existed. To test the utility of the lipid biomarker approach to coprolite analysis, lipids were extracted from a coprolite of the Pleistocene ground sloth Nothrotheriops shastensis. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry results revealed a dominant spiroketal sapogenin component identified, using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, as epismilagenin. The dominance of epismilagenin is probably due to ingestion of Yucca spp. and Agave spp., which is consistent with previous studies on the diet of this species.     

Micro-FTIR spectroscopic signatures of Bacterial lipids in Proterozoic microfossils

Precambrian microbial fossils show carbonaceous cellular structure, which often resemble in shape and size cyanobacteria and other prokaryotes. Morphological taxonomy of these minute, simple, and more or less degraded fossils is, however, often not enough to determine their precise phylogenetic positions. Here we report the results of micro-FTIR spectroscopic analyses of well-preserved microfossils in 850 Ma and 1900 Ma stromatolites, together with those of 8 species of extant prokaryotes and 5 of eukaryotes for comparison. These Proterozoic fossils have low CH₃/CH₂ absorbance ratios (R_3/2 < 0.5) of aliphatic CH moieties, suggesting selective preservation of long, straight, aliphatic carbon chains probably derived from bacterial membrane lipids. All the observed R_3/2 values of coccoids, filaments and amorphous organic matter resemble lipid fractions of extant Bacteria including cyanobacteria, but not Archaea. The results indicate that Proterozoic microfossils belong to Bacteria, which is consistent with the cyanobacterial origin inferred from morphology. Moreover, the R_3/2 value of fossilized cell would reflect chemical composition of its precursor membrane lipid, thus could be a useful new tracer for distinguishing Archaea, Bacteria and possibly Eucarya for fossilized and extant microorganisms.     

两株硅藻筒柱藻和纤细角毛藻的油脂生产

通过气泡柱光反应器评价了两株硅藻筒柱藻(Cylindrotheca fusiformis)和纤细角毛藻(Chaetoceros gracilis)的生物量、油脂及甘油三脂的积累.结果发现,其生物量与油脂产率相当,脂肪酸组成方面,也均以C16:0和C16:1为主,但是筒柱藻的油脂组成以甘油三酯为主,纤细角毛藻的油脂以单酰甘油酯、磷脂和糖脂为主.通过培养条件的优化,发现相比于降低初始氮元素与硅元素,降低培养液盐度,能够获得更高的生物量、油脂以及甘油三脂产率.通过筒柱藻批次培养最高获得了0.36 g/(L·d)的甘油三脂产率,且甘三酯占收获干物质的50%以上,具有相当好的应用潜力.     

Lipid and 13C signatures of submicron and suspended particulate organic matter in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific: Implications for the contribution of Bacteria

The contribution of bacterial biomass to total particulate organic matter (POM) in the ocean, including exported material, is poorly constrained. To examine potential signatures for the presence and export of bacterioplankton and their detrital remains, here we provide a detailed compound-specific ¹³C characterization of fatty acids from membrane polar lipids obtained from a water column profile in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific. POM of submicron size (0.2–0.7 μm; “X-POM”) was sampled and analyzed separately from the size class typically collected as “suspended” POM (0.7–53 μm; “L-POM”). The distributions of polar head group classes, specific fatty acid side chains, and natural ¹³C contents all vary, both between particle size classes and with depth in the water column. In general, the polar lipids in submicron material – and by inference, lipids of bacterial origin – have higher ¹³C content than polar lipids from larger POM and are equally abundant. Lipid signatures from the photic zone appear to be partially conserved in the suspended pool during transit down the water column. However, bacterial heterotrophy and possibly chemoautotrophy partially overprint these surface signatures. In addition, active metabolisms in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) appear to mediate the disaggregation of POM transported from the surface, thus adding complexity to the pathways of mid-water carbon flux and providing additional organic substrates to the OMZ and below. This “substrate injection” may provide important fuel for the denitrification and anammox reactions. Finally, examination of ¹³C content in polar lipids provides a basis for new interpretation of depth-related variations in δ¹³C values of bulk suspended POM.     

Variation of Antioxidant System in Pinus armandii under Elevated O3 in an Entire Growth Season

Impact of elevated O₃ (80 nmol mol^?1) was studied on antioxidant system in the previous‐year needles (P‐needles) of Pinus armandii under the background of global climate change. CAT (catalase) did not play an important role in defensing O₃ pollution, as no significant change was observed in its activity in P‐needles exposed to elevated O₃ during the entire growth season. Ascorbate (AsA) was more sensitive to elevated O₃, as the O₃‐induced decrease in its content was observed at Day 45. It suggests that AsA consumption was a crucial way for protecting against O₃ pollution. After 75 days of O₃ exposure, increase in superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase activities occurred in P‐needles (p < 0.05), whereas glutathione reductase activity was significantly increased after 105 days of O₃ treatment (p < 0.05). Dehydroascorbate reductase and monoascorbate reductase activities also increased after 75 days of elevated O₃ exposure. However, the elevated antioxidant capability did not suppress the generation of reactive oxygen species, and as a result, increase in malondialdehyde content was noted (p < 0.05). Noticeably, no change was observed in electrolyte leakage during the entire growth season under elevated O₃ fumigation. It indicates that O₃‐induced oxidative stress was not severe in the needles of P. armandii. In other words, P. armandii has certain tolerance to O₃ pollution.     

Protective effects of oyster extract against hepatic tissue injury in alcoholic liver diseases

Oyster extract is an effective bioactivity component. It has abundant nutritional value and antiviral, antitumor and immune defense functions. The role of oyster extract in treating liver injury has been paid more attention. We use Wistar rats to make alcoholic liver disease model through injecting alcohol into rats' stomachs. These rats were randomly divided into five groups: model group, control group, low-dose, middle-dose and high-dose experimental group with a dose of 0.12 g kg-1, 0.40 g kg-1, and 1.20 g kg-1 alcoholic. After nine weeks, serum biomarkers(ALT, AST, TG and TCHO), malondialdehyde(MDA), glutathione(GSH), C3a, C5a, IL-17, TNF-ɑ, anti-MAA-HAS IgG, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, NK cell activation and zinc content were assessed. The results showed that the serum biomarkers(ALT, AST, TG and TCHO), MDA content, anti-MAA-HSA IgG, serum C3a, C5a IL-17 and TNF-ɑ levels of oyster extract treatment groups were significantly decreased in comparison with model group. On the contrary, GSH showed adverse trend. Serum CD3+, CD4+ and NK cell activation were significantly increased in middle-dose group and high-dose group compared with model group, and there was decrease of CD8+ activity in high-dose group. Plasma Zn level was decreased in model group compared with that in control group. Meanwhile, Mean plasma Zn levels increased dramatically following the dose increase of a given oyster extract.     

Studies on the effects on growth and antioxidant responses of two marine microalgal species to uniconazole

Uniconazole, as a plant growth retardant, can enhance stress tolerance in plants, possibly because of improved antioxidation defense mechanisms with higher activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and peroxidase(POD) enzymes that retard lipid peroxidation and membrane deterioration. These years much attention has been focused on the responses of antioxidant system in plants to uniconazole stress, but such studies on aquatic organism are very few. Moreover, no information is available on growth and antioxidant response in marine microalgae to uniconazole. In this paper, the growth and antioxidant responses of two marine microalgal species, Platymonas helgolandica and Pavlova viridis, at six uniconazole concentrations(0-15 mg L-1) were investigated. The results demonstrated that 3 mg L-1 uniconazole could increase significantly chlorophyll a and carbohydrate contents of P. helgolandica(P 0.05). Higher concentrations(≥12 mg L-1) of uniconazole could inhibit significantly the growth, dry weight, chlorophyll-a and carbohydrate contents of P. helgolandica and P. viridis(P 0.05). Uniconazole caused a significant increase in lipid peroxidation production(MDA) at higher concentrations(≥ 9 mg L-1). The activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase(CAT) were enhanced remarkably at low concentrations of uniconazole. However, significant reduction of SOD and CAT activities was observed at higher concentrations of uniconazole.     

A ∼300-year record of environmental changes in Lake Issyk-Kul,Central Asia,inferred from lipid biomarkers in sediments

We measured lipid biomarkers (n-alkanes [n-ALKs] and n-alkanoic acids [n-FAs]) and other components of organic matter (total organic carbon [TOC] and total nitrogen [TN]) in a sediment core from Lake Issyk-Kul, Central Asia, to infer environmental changes in and around the lake during the last ∼300 years. Stratigraphic shifts in lipid biomarkers, TOC and TN, indicate three distinct environmental stages in the lake over the past three centuries: (1) Stage I (1670s–1790s, 51–36 cm sediment depth) corresponds to a period of stable hydrology in the lake, reflected by relatively constant concentrations of n-ALKs and n-FAs and values of related indexes. The interval was a period of relatively low trophic state. Natural factors were the main controls on environmental changes in and around the lake. (2) Stage II (1800s–1970s, 35–15 cm sediment depth) was a period when human activities began to exert influence on the environment in and around the lake. Enhanced agricultural exploitation and greater regional rainfall resulted in delivery to the lake of more land-derived lipids. Logging activity around the lake altered the vegetation, as revealed by shifts in C₂₇/C₃₃ ratios and the average chain length (ACL₂₇₋₃₃). A significant decline in lake level caused by excessive water consumption impacted aquatic macrophytes, as revealed by a reduction in macrophyte indicators. Lower nutrient concentrations were inferred for this period. (3) Stage III (1980s–present, 14–0 cm sediment depth) corresponds to a period of accelerating eutrophication. Before year 2000, lake level declined steadily as a result of low rainfall (drought) and high evaporation, which exerted a strong influence on the lake condition. In addition, anthropogenic activities contributed to lake eutrophication. After 2000, the lake experienced a dramatic increase in trophic state, characterized by high algal productivity, as indicated by greater TN, short-chain n-ALKs and short-chain n-FAs. The change was probably caused by flourishing tourism around the lake. In summary, environmental changes in and around Lake Issyk-Kul during the past ∼300 years were originally driven largely by natural factors such as shifts in regional precipitation amount. Human activities (e.g. logging, agriculture, water extraction, and more recently, tourism) took on increasingly important roles during the last two centuries, affecting watershed vegetation, the lake primary producer community and lake trophic status. Changes recorded in the lake sediments over the last ∼300 years are in good agreement with historical records.     

Transport and fate of Danube Delta terrestrial organic matter in the Northwest Black Sea mixing zone

Within the framework of the European project EROS 21, a biogeochemical study of particles transported from the Danube Delta to the Northwestern Black Sea whose carbon cycle is dominated by riverine inputs was carried out in spring off the Sulina branch of the Danube Delta. The distribution of particulate organic carbon (POC), chlorophyll a (Chl a), C/N, and δ¹³C evidenced an omnipresent contribution of terrestrial organic matter throughout the study area together with a dilution of these inputs by freshwater and marine organisms. Four lipid series, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanes, n-alkanols, and sterols were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Several signature compounds were selected to delineate dispersion of terrestrial organic carbon: (1) long-chain n-alkanoic acids in the range C₂₄–C₃₄, long-chain n-alkanes in the range C₂₅–C₃₅, long-chain n-alkanols in the range C₂₂–C₃₀, 24-ethylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol (29Δ^5,22) and 24-ethylcholesterol (29Δ⁵) for vascular plant-derived material and (2) coprostanol (27Δ^0,5β) for faecal contamination associated with sewage effluents. A marked decrease was observed between the concentrations of different vascular plant markers characterizing the two end members: riverine at salinity 0.3 and marine at salinity 15.5. The decrease observed for marine/riverine end members (expressed as a function of organic carbon) varied in a large range, from 4% for n-alkanes to 18.6%, 20.4% and 24% for n-fatty acids, n-alkanols and sterols, respectively. These values reflect a combination of various processes: size-selective particle sedimentation, resuspension of different particle pools of different sizes and ages, and/or selective biological utilization. The multi-marker approach also suggested the liberation in the mixing zone of terrestrial moieties, tightly trapped in macromolecular structures of the riverine material. The greatest decrease for marine/riverine end members was observed for coprostanol (0.9%), underlining the efficiency of the mixing zone as a sink for sewage-derived carbon.