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Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) Chiov. [PD] is used as a galactagogue by various tribes in Purulia district, India, lacks a scientific basis.

Our current study examines the significant impact of aniline on the fish feed freshwater benthic annelid, Tubifex tubifex, including mortality, changes in total protein concentration and antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-s transferase and glutathione peroxidase), as well as the generation of oxidative stress (by assessing malondialdehyde concentration). The 96-hour LC50 value of aniline is 276.940 mg/L. The General Unified Threshold Model of Survival (GUTS) was used to validate the survival rate pattern of the test organism in response to aniline at the acute level, with the GUTS-SD model better correctly predicting the expected course of population death. During long-term bioassay antioxidant enzymes activities (superoxide dismutase, glutathione-s transferase and glutathione peroxidase) and oxidative stress biomarkers concentration (malondialdehyde concentration) is substantially enhanced while protein concentration and Catalase activity are markedly reduced during the bioassay. The stress and detrimental effects of aniline on Tubifex tubifex were examined in the current study, taking into account all biomarkers, by utilising the Integrated Biomarker Response index. The results show that exposure to toxicants like aniline has a detrimental effect on Tubifex tubifex's survival rate and general health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global freshwater acidification, accelerated by rising pCO2, remains a critical ecological concern. Despite the prevalence of carboxylic acids like acetic acid (AA) and benzoic acid (BA) in freshwater, their potential to exacerbate acidification and impact biota is not fully understood. In this study, we examined behavioural disruptions during acute exposures (96 h) and operculum ultrastructure changes during chronic exposures (28 days) to ecologically-relevant concentrations of AA (39.7, 79.5, and 99.4 mg/L) and BA (31.4, 62.8, and 78.5 mg/L) in Bellamya bengalensis. Acute exposures revealed significant behavioural disruption, including reduced activity and impaired escape behaviour. Chronic exposures led to ultrastructural defects in the operculum, with more pronounced effects in BA-exposed groups. Acidification scenarios appeared to impact calcium carbonate crystal formation, compromising opercula structure. Our study underscores the importance of understanding both acute and chronic effects of freshwater acidification on molluscan species, emphasising the need for further research into the underlying mechanisms and thresholds of acidification tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of nano-based products raises concerns regarding potential risks related to their manufacturing, transportation, waste disposal, and management operations. We used the riverine carp, Capoeta capoeta, as an aquatic animal model to demonstrate the acute toxicity of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). This study focuses on acute toxicity first, and then integrates the findings through histopathology, hematological, and biochemical testing of lethal and sub-lethal Ag-NPs exposures. Red blood corpuscles (RBC), white blood corpuscles (WBC), hematocrit, and total serum glucose levels were significantly lower in Ag-NPs-exposed fish than in control fish. Total serum protein, triglycerides, cholesterol, and albumin were all significantly greater in exposed fish. This research focused on the impacts of Ag-NPs on gills and liver tissue, and it was found that the level of injury escalated as the concentration of Ag NPs increased. Epithelial lifting of secondary lamellas (ELSL), epithelial hypertrophy (EH) of secondary lamellae (SL), leukocyte infiltration (LI), and bottom hyperplasia (BH) were all detected in Ag-NPs-exposed fish. In Ag-NPs-treated liver cross-sections of Capoeta capoeta, macrophage aggregates (MA), fatty liver (FL), sinusoid dilatation (SD), and necrosis (N) were identified. Ag-NPs dosages, according to biomarker representations, elicit stress-specific biochemical and physiological effects, compromising the general overall health status of aquatic animals. The gradients of toxic responses across exposure concentrations and portrayals of disrupted fish health with increasing silver nanoparticle exposure time indicate a reduced physiological ability for surviving in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Secondary food allergies due to cross-reactivity between pollen and food allergens are a significant health burden in India. Prevalence of cross-reactivity varies by region, and particularly in West Bengal, it remains unexplored. The present study investigated sensitivities of pollen-related food allergy (PFA) patients of West Bengal by empirically determining co-sensitization patterns. Methods: The present study retrospectively analysed 1,310 pollen-allergic (PA) patients from the Allergy and Asthma Research Centre, West Bengal. A questionnaire survey was performed to record patients' demographic and clinical features and categorized into seasonal and perennial ones. All patients were subjected to the skin prick test and specific IgE for evaluation of sensitivity against 16 pollen and 16 food allergens. Co-relation and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to determine co-sensitivity. Results: Seasonal allergic patients were comparatively higher than perennial ones. PFA patients were mostly sensitive to eggplant (n = 387), while Azadirachta indica (n = 341) was predominant sensitizer among pollen allergen sources. Cynodon dactylon showed maximum significant positive correlation with banana, orange, peanut, pineapple, cucumber, eggplant, potato, tomato, and wheat. In the seasonal group, Cynodon dactylon-specific IgE in PFA patients (median = 4.60 kU/L) was significantly higher from that of PA ones (median = 3.44 kU/L). Among 32 allergens tested, 27 were placed in first two dimensions of the PCA biplot. Conclusion: The present study established that co-sensitivity between pollen and food allergen sources were predominant in allergic patients of West Bengal. The co-sensitization patterns among unrelated allergen sources may be due to possible expression of biologic cross-reactivity to similar allergens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]