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Background: Diethyl phthalate (DEP), used as a plasticizer, is more prevalent in the aquatic environment due to its widespread usage in plastics, cosmetics, and numerous pharmaceutical industries. It is a potential endocrine disruptor, but the underlying mechanism in fish needs to be investigated. The present study evaluated the toxic impacts of DEP exposure for 30 days on commercially important fish Labeo catla (Catla). Alterations at multiple level endpoints of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis) were assessed. DEP-induced changes in oxidative stress, histopathological changes (liver, kidney and brain) and bioaccumulation in fish muscle were also evaluated. Results: DEP exposure to 1/10th (1.62 mg/L) and 1/50th (0.32 mg/L) LC50 dose for 30 days to Catla revealed that it stimulated the expression of kisspeptin (Kiss 1 and Kiss 2) genes in the hypothalamus, leading to an increased GnRH concentration (36.75%) in the higher dose. The brain FSH levels increased by 11.24 and 55.42% times than control in both the doses. This led to an increase in circulating sex steroids E2 (41.62%) and 11 KT (24.59%) and eventually triggered hepatic Vtg production (23.90%) in a dose-dependent manner. DEP exposure lowered the concentration of antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), the effect being more pronounced in the higher dose. The histopathological alterations, such as hepatocyte vacuolization, sinusoidal congestion, loss of brush border, degeneration of lumen, infiltration of eosinophilic cells in liver, kidney and brain, respectively, were noted. Conclusions: This pioneering study could provide detailed insight into the endocrine disruptive potential of DEP in fish, as evidenced by its impact at multiple endpoints, even at low doses after 30 days of exposure. The output of this investigation thus emphasized the need for regular monitoring of DEP for ecological risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Proteins and amino acids, as vital biomolecules, are not only part of key metabolic pathways in the body but are also essential for tissue repair, enzyme function, and hormone regulation. They also serve as building blocks for the formation of signaling molecules, such as neurotransmitters and catecholamines. Additionally, amino acids are the primary building components of proteins. Fish serves as a vital source of high-quality animal protein and amino acids, playing a crucial role in supporting human nutrition. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using fluorescence detector was employed to investigated the amino acid content of eight food fishes from diverse aquatic habitats. Results: The study revealed that the small indigenous fish (SIF) Systomus sarana and the marine fish Sardinella melanura were rich sources of all essential amino acids. Furthermore, estuarine fish like Pisodonophis boro can be recommended for specific amino acids like arginine, histidine, leucine, and valine, while Setipinna phasa is suggested for cysteine. Discussion: These recommendations rely on the possible contribution of these fishes to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) regarding each nutrient. The insights gained from this study could be utilized as recommendations to meet amino acid requirement using fish as a natural supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acids are significant biomolecules that govern the major metabolic processes and act as precursors for macromolecules such as proteins that are crucial to life. Fish is an integral component of human nutrition and a dietary source of high-quality animal proteins and amino acids. In this context, the crude protein and amino acid compositions of food fish from different landing stations of the Ganga river have been determined. The Kjeldahl method was utilized to determine the crude protein content and the amino acids were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); data on 30 food fish were assessed. The study showed that among the fish studied, Eleotris fusca, Macrobrachium malcomsonii, and Mystus cavasius were rich in most of the amino acids important for human nutrition, such as glycine, glutamic acid, cysteine, threonine, phenylalanine, methionine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, histidine, and valine. Further, it was observed that the daily consumption of these fish (approximately 50 g) can fulfil the daily requirement of these individual amino acids for an adult human with a body weight of 60 kg. Therefore, the amino acid composition analyzed in the present study could be utilized for recommendation by clinicians according to the requirement for specific amino acids, and fish can be prescribed as a natural supplement against the amino acid requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper attempts to identify the physical health-related issues of the elderly population in selected rural and urban areas of Haora district, West Bengal. The study has also been extended to include how the health status of the elderly varies with gender, according to age-cohorts, education, socio-economic position, and environmental situations. In this regard, a community-based study is conducted in one community development block of the district and one municipal corporation by using a simple random sampling method. A total of 300 elderly persons are selected with a mean age of 69.69 years and 150 each from both units. The principal component analysis is used to identify the wealth quintile which represents their socio-economic status. The prevalence of chronic disease data is collected from the field. Self-reported health describes their perception of health. The result shows that disease probability increases with age. Education, gainful occupation, domicile, and socio-economic position controls the health and health-related behaviour of the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) fertilization on yield and oil content in flaxseed, chemical properties and the composition of the fatty acids in the seed oil of flax, is important considering the growing global demand of the oil. The experiment was conducted at Barrackpore, West Bengal, India, with a combination of four N (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha−1) and three K (0, 30 and 60 kg ha−1) doses replicated thrice in a randomised complete block design. The quality of flax seed oil was significantly influenced by N and K fertilization. Higher N doses decreased the seed oil content but increased the oil yield. Increased N doses reduced the iodine value (IV), peroxide value (PV), and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content, particularly the α-linolenic acid (ALA) content in flax seed oil while the acid value (AV), free fatty acid (FFA), saturated fatty acid (SFA) and oleic acid contents were increased with N application. Potassium fertilization decreased the values of FFA, PV, ALA in flax seed oil and enhanced the oleic acid and poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content. The UFA/SFA and oleic acid/ALA ratio decreased at higher N and K doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of toxic metal contaminated fish is a significant risk to human health. The Ganga river is one of the vital river systems in India, and it nurtures a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. In the present study, screening of potential toxic metal elements (Cd, Cr, Mn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, and As) was undertaken in 31 food fishes, especially the small indigenous fishes (SIFs) from the lower stretch of river Ganga by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentration of toxic metal elements varied among different fish species. Among the toxic metal elements studied, Cr, Zn, and As were found to be dominant in Eleotris fusca; Cd, Ni, and Pb were highest in Securicula gora; Cu was highest in Cabdio morar; and Mn was highest in Coilia dussumieri. The average pollution load index values (APLI) for all the fishes analyzed were less than one except for Eleotris fusca, which indicated no serious toxic metal element pollution load. The estimated daily intake values (EDI) for the toxic metal elements were found to be within the permissible maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI). Among the fishes studied, only a few species showed hazard index (HI) greater than one, indicating non-carcinogenic health risks. Similarly, the target carcinogenic values (TCR) for most of the toxic metal elements were below the permissible limit (10 -4 ) in the fishes that assures minimal cancer risk. This study provides a comprehensive data on the composition of potential toxic metal elements of 31 food fishes from the lower stretch of the river Ganga, the first of its kind, and suggests the necessity of periodic monitoring of these in the aquatic ecosystem., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)