Deposition and Emission Fluxes of Acidifying Compounds on the Territory of Belarus

In the paper trends of precipitates acidity, acidifying compounds wet deposition and emission on the territory of Belarus in the last decade are considered. Trend of acidity of precipitates in 90th on the territory of Belarus was detected. But at the same time heterogeneity of measurement sites was revealed. For 90th statistically approved trend of sulphur deposition reduction have been showed. The intensity of deposition of nitrates has great heterogeneity. Levels of deposition of sulphur and nitrogen on the territory of Belarus in the long-term scale as a whole correlate with levels of SO₂ and NO_x emission on territory of Europe. This is due to the fact that peculiarities of geographical situation of Belarus have caused prevalence of transboundary component in structure of atmospheric depositions.     

Isolation of a novel catechin from Bergenia rhizomes that has pronounced lipase-inhibiting and antioxidative properties

An aqueous ethanol extract of Bergenia crassifolia rhizomes strongly inhibited human pancreatic lipase activity and increased scavenging of DPPH free radicals in vitro. Chromatographic separation of this extract led to isolation of the hydrolysable tannins (+)-catechin 3,5-di-O-gallate () and (+)-catechin 3-O-gallate (). This is the first report of the isolation of compound 1 from plant material. This compound strongly inhibited human pancreatic lipase (with an IC₅₀ value of 0.42 μg/ml) and exhibited a remarkable free radical-scavenging ability (with an SC₅₀ value of 1.04 μg/ml). The chemical structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated using MS, NMR and chemical approaches.     

Molecular Targets of Brown Algae Phlorotannins for the Therapy of Inflammatory Processes of Various Origins

Inflammatory reactions are part of a complex biological response that plays a vital role in the appearance of various stimuli resulting from tissue and cell damage, the invasion of pathogenic bacteria, and the formation of the subsequent adaptive immune response. The production of many triggers and mediators of inflammation, which are inducers of pro-inflammatory factors, is controlled by numerous differentiation programs, through which inflammation is resolved and tissue homeostasis is restored. However, prolonged inflammatory responses or dysregulation of pro-inflammatory mechanisms can lead to chronic inflammation. Modern advances in biotechnology have made it possible to characterize the anti-inflammatory activity of phlorotannins, polyphenolic compounds from brown seaweed, and the mechanisms by which they modulate the inflammatory response. The purpose of this review is to analyze and summarize the results of numerous experimental in vitro and in vivo studies, illustrating the regulatory mechanisms of these compounds, which have a wide range of biological effects on the body. The results of these studies and the need for further research are discussed.     

Impact of agricultural land use on distribution of microbial biomass and activity within soil aggregates

The presence of aggregates of various sizes in the soil is an important condition for soil carbon sequestration. In this system, microbial biomass is a key link. This work was devoted to the study of the influence of land use systems on the distribution of SOС, MB-SIR, microbial activity and eco-physiological indices (qCO₂, QR, MB-SIR/SOС and qCO₂/SOС) in relation to the size of soil aggregates. The distribution of SOС, MB-SIR and mineralization activity among the aggregates was heterogeneous. In the soil of crop rotation, high mineralization activity and MB-SIR were found in the aggregates 0.5–0.1 mm, in the monoculture soil in aggregates <0.1 mm and in the control soil in the aggregates 1–0.25 mm. There was a general trend towards a decrease in microbial activity, MB-SIR and SOС availability with an increase in aggregate size. In agricultural soils, microbial activity was determined by large aggregates (>5 mm), while in the control soil, by the aggregates 5–1 mm. Depending on the type of site and the size of aggregates, the differences in microbial metabolism were revealed. The qCO₂ and QR values decreased, and the MB-SIR/SOС and qCO₂/SOС increased in the series: control soil > crop rotation > monoculture. In the control soil, the values of the eco-physiological indices decreased with decreasing aggregate size. And vice versa, in agricultural soils, these parameters were the highest in the microaggregates (<0.25 mm). The monoculture soil, in contrast to the control soil and crop rotation soil, turned out to be more energy efficient.     

Echinochrome A Protects Mitochondrial Function in Cardiomyocytes against Cardiotoxic Drugs

Echinochrome A (Ech A) is a naphthoquinoid pigment from sea urchins that possesses antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and chelating abilities. Although Ech A is the active substance in the ophthalmic and cardiac drug Histochrome^®, its underlying cardioprotective mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the protective role of Ech A against toxic agents that induce death of rat cardiac myoblast H9c2 cells and isolated rat cardiomyocytes. We found that the cardiotoxic agents tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP, organic reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducer), sodium nitroprusside (SNP; anti-hypertension drug), and doxorubicin (anti-cancer drug) caused mitochondrial dysfunction such as increased ROS level and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Co-treatment with Ech A, however, prevented this decrease in membrane potential and increase in ROS level. Co-treatment of Ech A also reduced the effects of these cardiotoxic agents on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and adenosine triphosphate level. These findings indicate the therapeutic potential of Ech A for reducing cardiotoxic agent-induced damage.     

Impact of natural and man-made factors on migration of heavy metals in the Ardon River basin (North Ossetia)

Purpose

The main goal of the study was to evaluate biogeochemical effects of particular factors changing the structure of landscapes due to enhanced mass migration and erosion of the outcropping rocks by studying transformation of chemical composition of the draining waters and flood plain soils; chemical composition of the solid and liquid phases of the Ardon River waters; and by assessing ecological consequences and risk of contamination of the area by heavy metals.

Materials and methods

Water, soil, and biota species (plants, algae, and amphibian) were sampled at the plots located up- and downstream the mining and industrial areas of North Ossetia (the Ardon River basin) before and after the mudflow that took place in 2002. The air-dried samples were decomposed in a mixture of mineral acids. Heavy metals were determined by means of AAS with the help of AAS-80 (Hitachi) or AAS-2A (KORTEC) using standard reference materials of hair (CRM 397), plant mixture (SBMT-02), and soil (SRM 2709). Hydrochemical and biochemical analyses were performed with the help of the known methods (Kraynov and Shvets 1992; Burtis et al. 2006).

Results and discussion

The study showed that activity of the Misur Mining Combine and its Ardon-Khost tailings caused a significant local increase of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn content in soils, water, and biotic components as compared to the background values. The mudflow of 2002 changed the structure of landscapes and was followed by a considerable transformation of chemical composition of the downstream river waters and floodplain soils, and by invasion of particular hydrophyte species. Algae and amphibian adapted to the changed conditions and indicated both natural and anthropogenic transformation of the environment. A distinct relation between the particle size of the suspended matter in the Ardon River waters and water salinity was discovered.

Conclusions

Therefore, the Unal basin presents a vivid example of modern natural and anthropogenic evolution of Pb-Zn biogeochemical province under conditions of the extreme and dynamic geochemical environment leading to enhanced risks of ecological damage. Algae species demonstrated high adaptive and indicative capacity in case of both the fast natural and man-made impact.

     

Fatty Acid Production and Direct Acyl Transfer through Polar Lipids Control TAG Biosynthesis during Nitrogen Deprivation in the Halotolerant Alga Dunaliella tertiolecta

The aims of this work were to evaluate the contribution of the free fatty acid (FA) pool to triacylglyceride (TAG) biosynthesis and to try to characterize the mechanism by which FA are assimilated into TAG in the green alga Dunaliella tertiolecta. A time-resolved lipidomic analysis showed that nitrogen (N) deprivation induces a redistribution of total lipidome, particularly of free FA and major polar lipid (PL), in parallel to enhanced accumulation of polyunsaturated TAG. The steady-state concentration of the FA pool, measured by prolonged ¹⁴C-bicarbonate pre-labeling, showed that N deprivation induced a 50% decrease in total FA level within the first 24 h and up to 85% after 96 h. The abundance of oleic acid increased from 50 to 70% of total free FA while polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) disappeared under N deprivation. The FA flux, measured by the rate of incorporation of ¹⁴C-palmitic acid (PlA), suggests partial suppression of phosphatidylcholine (PC) acyl editing and an enhanced turnover of the FA pool and of total digalactosyl-diacylglycerol (DGDG) during N deprivation. Taken together, these results imply that FA biosynthesis is a major rate-controlling stage in TAG biosynthesis in D. tertiolecta and that acyl transfer through PL such as PC and DGDG is the major FA assimilation pathway into TAG in that alga and possibly in other green microalgae. Increasing the availability of FA could lead to enhanced TAG biosynthesis and to improved production of high-value products from microalgae.     

Triterpene Glycosides from the Far Eastern Sea Cucumber Thyonidium (=Duasmodactyla) kurilensis (Levin): The Structures,Cytotoxicities, and Biogenesis of Kurilosides A3, D1, G,H, I,I1, J,K, and K1

Nine new mono-, di-, and trisulfated triterpene penta- and hexaosides, kurilosides A₃ (1), D₁ (2), G (3), H (4), I (5), I₁ (6), J (7), K (8), and K₁ (9) and two desulfated derivatives, DS-kuriloside L (10), having a trisaccharide branched chain, and DS-kuriloside M (11), having hexa-nor-lanostane aglycone with a 7(8)-double bond, have been isolated from the Far-Eastern deep-water sea cucumber Thyonidium (=Duasmodactyla) kurilensis (Levin) and their structures were elucidated based on 2D NMR spectroscopy and HR-ESI mass-spectrometry. Five earlier unknown carbohydrate chains and two aglycones (having a 16β,(20S)-dihydroxy-fragment and a 16β-acetoxy,(20S)-hydroxy fragment) were found in these glycosides. All the glycosides 1–9 have a sulfate group at C-6 Glc, attached to C-4 Xyl1, while the positions of the other sulfate groups vary in different groups of kurilosides. The analysis of the structural features of the aglycones and the carbohydrate chains of all the glycosides of T. kurilensis showed their biogenetic relationships. Cytotoxic activities of the compounds 1–9 against mouse neuroblastoma Neuro 2a, normal epithelial JB-6 cells, and erythrocytes were studied. The highest cytotoxicity in the series was demonstrated by trisulfated hexaoside kuriloside H (4), having acetoxy-groups at C(16) and C(20), the latter one obviously compensated the absence of a side chain, essential for the membranolytic action of the glycosides. Kuriloside I₁ (6), differing from 4 in the lacking of a terminal glucose residue in the bottom semi-chain, was slightly less active. The compounds 1–3, 5, and 8 did not demonstrate cytotoxic activity due to the presence of hydroxyl groups in their aglycones.     

Forestry activity is one mechanism of invasion by arboreal plants

For a long time,forestry primarily had industrial goals.Volume of wood production was the main criterion of forestry efficacy,and thus rapid-growing arboreal species were cultivated in natural forests.More recently,nature protection has become one of forestry's goals.Unfortunately,some introduced,rapid-growing species became aggressive components of natural ecological systems during the interim.In this paper,we first describe a method that we developed to categorize aggressiveness of invasive arboreal plants in natural forest ecosystems of Kazakhstan.We then apply this new scheme to monitoring data of invasive arboreal plants to provide an insight into the invasion potential of different species in the fruit forests of Southeast Kazakhstan.     

Auctioning the Forest: A Qualitative Approach to Exploring Stakeholder Responses to Bidding on Forest Ecosystem Services

The loss of private forestland diminishes ecosystems, including wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration and clean water. The emergence of new markets for forest ecosystem services offers one solution for private forestland financing while having the potential to increase the provision of forest ecosystem services. The general public’s willingness to participate in an auction mechanism for private forest ecosystem services was assessed for a regionally representative forest in Washington State using focus group methodology. The auction mechanism utilizes cost-effective management scenarios that stakeholders competitively bid on. Participants exhibited preferences for specific management plans while also making trade-offs in order to ensure that a plan would win. Participants expressed clear preferences for recreational access, mature forest habitat, aesthetic amenities, and improved water quality. Participants were receptive to the auction mechanism while maintaining concerns over viability, transparency, and local stakeholder involvement.