ALBERT

Notes: Summary Glycozoline and girinimbine isomers (IV andVII) were synthesized and their activity against 2 bacterial strains, viz.E. coli andS. aureus, and 2 fungal strains, viz.C. albicans andA. niger were studied. The hydroxy synthons (III) were also tested.

Notes: Abstract In vertebrates haematological parameters are of considerable importance in the diagnosis of pathological disorders due to pollutants. Similar haematological studies in invertebrates are lacking. This is partly because a very few species have erythrocytes; arcid clams, however, are unique in having erythrocytes. Our experiments were designed therefore to evaluate the effect of naphthalene (N) on haematological parameters in the tropical arcid blood clam Anadara granosa L. The parameter studied were haemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), haematocrit, erythrocyte fragility, haemolymph cations, free amino acids and osmolality. On exposure to naphthalene (N) in the sublethal range (5 to 15 μg ml-1) Hb content decreased appreciably (P〈0.001) compared with controls. Although ESR increased significantly (P〈0.001), haematocrit decreased by 17 to 37%. Treatment with N for 96 h increased erythrocyte fragility and haemolysis; the latter by more than 40%. Both inorganic phosphate and free fatty acids increased with ambient concentration of N. Haemolymph cations — K, Ca and Mg increased significantly in relation to control. Na decreased, but not significantly. Free amino acids decreased significantly (P〈0.001) with the ambient concentration of naphthalene, but haemolymph osmolality was not effected.

Notes: Abstract The effect of cadmium introduced as inorganic salts (chloride, nitrate, sulfate, carbonate, acetate and iodide) or organic chelates (with EDTA, NTA and humic acid) on the physiological behaviour of six species of tropical lamellibranchs — arcid blood clamsAnadara granosa andA. rhombea, venerid clamsMeretrix casta andKatelysia opima, and mytilid musselsPerna viridis andP. indica, collected from various intertidal areas in southern India from 1986 to 1989 — was evaluated. Inorganic salts of Cd are reported to completely ionize upon introduction to full-strength sea water and form predominantly (97%) chloride complexes. Some inorganic Cd salts, therefore, would hardly affect physiological parameters. However, bioaccumulation of Cd was greatest upon exposure to Cd introduced as sulfate, followed by iodide, acetate, chloride, nitrate and carbonate; 96-h LC50's also varied, but in a different order, being highest for chloride (3.5µg ml−1), followed by nitrate, acetate, iodide and sulfate (1.8µg ml−1). Furthermore, Cd levels increased linearly with time of exposure and levels in medium, and were species-specific, being highest in the arcid clams, followed by the venerid clams and mytilid mussels. The presence of other metals such as Zn reduced bioaccumulation of Cd significantly (P 〈 0.001), but the reverse was not true. Upon exposure to Cd in the presence of Cu, on the other hand, accumulation of both metals was reduced by 15 to 20%. In the presence of organic chelators — EDTA, NTA and reduced glutathione (GSH) — Cd accumulation was significantly inhibited, by 1/2 to 1/3. Humic acid, on the other hand, had no effect. Cd levels in soft tissues were inversely related to ambient salinity in the range of 12 to 32‰. However, both Zn and Cu significantly inhibited Cd accumulation irrespective of salinity. Cd increased the rate of filtration inAnadara granosa over the first 24 h by 28%, but on prolonged exposure (96 h) that rate decreased significantly, by 50%. Zn alone and in the presence of Cd, on the contrary, initially reduced filtration activity, which subsequently increased to control levels upon continued exposure. Cu alone and in combination with Cd and Zn also significantly (P 〈 0.001) inhibited filtration relative to controls. This combination also progressively reduced respiratory activity with time, the maximum decrease being 80% after 96 h of exposure. Furthermore, impact of all three metals on both filtration rate and oxygen consumption was initially synergistic, but changed to antagonistic upon prolonged exposure up to 96 h.

Notes: Abstract Exposure of the tropical arcid blood clam Anadara granosa L., collected from Bombay waters in 1986, to sublethal concentrations of naphthalene (Nap) (5, 10 and 15μg Nap ml-1), induced various changes in vital biochemical systems. The condition index (CI) remained largely within the control range, although tissue water content after 96h exposure increased significantly (p〈0.001). Glycogen levels appreciably decreased, both in muscles (p〈0.001) and digestive glands (p〈0.01). AMP activity remained unaltered irrespective of the ambient Nap concentration. ADP levels decreased by more than 20% and ATP levels also decreased significantly (p≪0.001) by more than 60% with increases in ambient Nap levels from 5 to 15 μg ml-1. Lysosomal marker enzymes-arylsulphatase and acid phosphatase-showed various changes. Levels of the former were 10 to 17 times higher than the latter. Total and free arylsulphatase activity in hepatic cells decreased on exposure of clams to 5 and 10μg Nap ml-1, but not significantly. However, it was significantly inhibited (p〈0.001) towards the upper limits of exposure concentration. The same was also true of acid phosphatase activity. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH2) oxidation of lipochrome showed a dramatic decrease in activity in the range of 37 to 88% over controls with increasing Nap from 5 to 15 μg ml-1. Fatty acids also exhibited significant changes in composition with a decrease in polyunsaturated acids and an increase in certain saturated fatty acids. Protein and carbohydrate levels increased significantly (p〈0.001) towards upper limits of exposure concentration. Pyruvic acid levels increased significantly by 2 to 6 times over controls on exposure to 5 to 15 μg Nap ml-1. Explanation of these changes is attempted in terms of the glycolysis pathway involving pyruvic acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation in the electron transport system.

Notes: Abstract The marine sponge Spirastrella cuspidifera Lamarck shows a remarkable capacity to concentrate cobalt-60 from its environment, the specific activity of the radionuclide being two orders of magnitude higher than that in the ambient water. This suggests a very slow equilibrium with stable cobalt. The chemical form of the deposited cobalt-60 has been investigated in S. cuspidifera collected from coastal waters in the vicinity of a nuclear power station. The majority of the cobalt-60, 75 to 85%, is readily extractable into distilled water. Chromatographic analysis of this soluble fraction shows that about 85% of the cobalt is present as a small-molecular weight complex of low stability. No binding to any specific protein could be identified. The possible mechanism for the preferential uptake of cobalt-60 by this species of sponge is discussed.

Notes: Abstract Changes in vital physiological activities — shell movements and burrowing behaviour, uptake and depuration, filtration and respiration — on exposure to sublethal concentrations of naphthalene (Nap) were investigated in the tropical arcid blood clam Anadara granosa L. from the Bombay coast in 1986. On exposure to ambient concentrations exceeding 5μg Nap ml-1, shell valves opened widely within the first hour of exposure. The compressed muscular foot was stretched vertically upwards with copious secretion of mucus, and did not exhibit any evidence of burrowing behaviour. Those exposed to 5μg Nap ml-1 regained their normal physiological activities on transfer to stressor-free medium, whereas those exposed to higher levels became intoxicated and narcotized. Bioaccumulation of Nap was dependent upon environmental concentration, increasing exponentially with time over a 9h exposure period. Further exposure, up to 96h, however, did not increase tissue levels substantially. About 65% of the total body burden of Nap was depurated within 3h of transfer to Nap-free medium. Rates of filtration and oxygen consumption were significantly reduced (ca 70%, p〈0.001) compared to control clams. Percent inhibition in these physiological activities was dependent upon tissue and ambient concentrations of Nap. On transfer to pollutant-free medium, clams exhibited remarkable recovery. Rates of both filtration and oxygen consumption were gradually increased and restored to normal levels, as observed in controls. However, clams exposed to upper limits lost their ability to burrow back into the sedimentary bed, leaving them susceptable to predators. Furthermore, induction of anaerobiosis and disruption of osmotic balance on exposure to Nap together with aerial exposure at low-water periods and salinity changes, acted synergistically and proved detrimental. The rates of growth and mortality observed in the natural population of blood clams, harvested from the coastal waters off Bombay, have been explained in terms of the impact of petroleum and allied waste products released from petrochemical industries.

Notes: Abstract The effect of ionizing radiation on the iron-linked protein (haemoglobin) of the marine lamellibranchs Anadara granosa (Linn.) and Cardita antiquata (Lam.) from Bombay waters, India is discussed. Purified haemoglobin solutions were exposed to a 60Cobalt source delivering a dose of about 4,600 rad/min, at the sample irradiation point. Radiation damage or degradation was measured spectrophometrically by studying changes in the absorption spectra following irradiation in the presence and absence of oxygen. Exposure to ionizing radiation in general caused a decrease in absorption of both haemoglobins, irrespective of location, viz extra-versus intracellular, at Soret (412 mμ), β (540 to 42 mμ) and α (574 to 76 mμ) peaks, and an increase in absorption at 510 and 630 mμ. Upon exposure to a higher dose, O2Hb of C. antiquata showed an increase in absorption at the protein peak (280 mμ); exposure to a lower dose, however, resulted in decreased absorption. Furthermore, the changes following irradiation were dependent upon the initial state of the pigment. Oxyhaemoglobin, when exposed to radiation, oxidized to hemiglobin, and hemiglobin reduced to oxyhaemoglobin. The extracellular haemoglobin of high molecular weight (3x106) of the false cockle C. antiquata was found to be extremely radio-resistant, whereas intracellular haemoglobin of low molecular weight (74,000) of the arcid clam A. granosa was highly radiosensitive, since it could not be exposed to doses exceeding 18,000 r.