우리나라의 '해양오염방제 자재·약제의 성능시험기준 및 검정기준 중 ‘생물에 대한 영향시험’(생태독성시험)의 시험방법과 판정 기준의 개정과 관련한 방향을 제시하기 위해 현행 기준의 문제점을 파악하고 국가별 제도 비교를 통한 개선방안을 제시하였다. Skeletonema costatum을 이용한 성장저해시험의 경우, 배양액 색조를 비교하여 판단하는 기준 대신 측정된 성장률을 적절한 통계기법을 이용하여 비교 분석하는 과학적인 기준이 도입되어야 하며 시험기간의 경우, 지수성장기를 고려하여 4일 이내가 합당한 것으로 판단된다. 어류를 이용한 독성시험의 경우, 다양한 물질에 대한 독성시험 및 비교연구를 통해 방제 자재에 대해 일관되고 적절한 민감도를 나타낼 수 있는 보다 적절한 어체크기에 대한 재설정이 필요하고 이에 따른 합리적이고 객관적인 판정기준이 마련되어야 할 것으로 판단된다. 시험종의 경우, Artemia sp. 대신 해양 윤충류인 Rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis가 대안이 될 수 있으며 어류시험의 경우, 굴류(Oyster)와 같은 이매 패류의 분류군을 이용한 독성시험으로의 대체 역시 대안으로 고려될 수 있다. 마지막으로 해양오염방제 자재·약제의 형식승인 시험과 관련하여 생태독성시험 분야의 경우, 업무의 특수성과 결과의 신뢰성을 고려하여 별도의 공인시험기관 지정 또는 관련 유사 법률과 연계한 일원화된 창구가 필요하며 수용가능한 수준의 시험비용 산정과 시험항목 조정을 통한 합리적인 제도개선이 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

This study investigated the preventive effect of Dendropanax morbifera leaf extracts (DMLEs) drew out with water, 30, 50 and 70% ethanol against alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro and vivo. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-dipenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to assess cytotoxic activity of DMLEs, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranged between 1.11 and 2.08 mg/mL on Hep3B cells. In preventing ethanol-induced-hepatotoxicity on Hep3B cells, 30 and 50% ethanol DMLEs were significantly effective compared to the 5% ethanol treatment control. In addition, the 30% ethanol DMLE was orally provided to rats 30 min prior to the administration of ethanol (3 mL/kg body weight). At 1, 3 and 5 h after ethanol treatment, the plasma levels of ethanol and acetaldehyde were determined. The 30% ethanol DMLE effectively decreased the plasma ethanol levels during 5 h but increased the plasma acetaldehyde levels until 3 h and then significantly decreased at 5 h, as compared to the control. These results indicate that the 30% ethanol DMLE possesses a potent preventive effect against ethanol-induced liver toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats.

In this study, the potential toxicity of isoprocarb was demonstrated using zebrafish embryos. We treated isoprocarb (0, 29, and 58 mg/L) to the zebrafish embryos for 72 h then, we estimated morphological changes and apoptotic cell numbers. The increasing extent of apoptosis from the anterior to posterior region of developing zebrafish larvae was correlated with toxicity in the overall development process, including growth and normal organ formation. The appearance of abnormalities in the isoprocarb-treated groups in comparison to normal developing zebrafish larvae was verified using quantitative image analysis based on ImageJ software program. The vascular system comprising a complex interconnection of blood vessels was visualized in vessel-fluorescent transgenic zebrafish (fli1:eGFP). The main vasculature was malformed on isoprocarb treatment, and this was also related to cardiac defects. Taken together, normal embryonic development in zebrafish was interrupted owing to the acute toxicity of isoprocarb.

Dimethachlor is a synthetic herbicide, belonging to the chloroacetanilide group, that inhibits the undesirable growth of weeds via the suppression of very longchain fatty acid synthesis. Although dimethachlor has been shown to run off from agricultural fields into aquatic ecosystems, the toxicity of dimethachlor on aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates is unknown. In our study, we assessed the toxicity of dimethachlor on developing zebrafish embryos by analyzing viability, hatching ability, and phenotypic changes. Embryonic viability decreased from 48 h post-fertilization (hpf) at the highest concentration of dimethachlor. Decreased hatching ratio, shortened body length, and pathological changes in the eye, heart, and yolk sac were observed at sub-lethal concentrations. Additionally, dimethachlor increased the number of apoptotic cells and level of reactive oxygen species 120 hpf. Our results indicate that dimethachlor may act as an anti-developmental toxicant when accumulated in an aquatic environment.

마비성 패독(paralytic shellfish poisoning, PSP)에 의한 중독은 와편모조류(Dinoflagellates)가 생성하는 saxitoxin (STX)이 이매패류 등의 먹이활동에 의해 축적되고 이를 사람이 섭취함으로써 발생한다. 최근 분석기술의 발전으로 와편모조류가 STX외에도 gonyautoxin (GTX) group 및 Nsulfo carbamoyl toxins (C toxin) group 등 다양한 유사체들 을 생성하는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 이에 CODEX, EFSA 에서는 STX외 유사체의 안전관리를 위해 STX 및 유사체를 STX group으로 관리하고자 하는 움직임을 보이고 있다 . 국내의 경우도 STX 유사체를 생성하는 조류의 발생이 이미 보고되고 있으며 실제 홍합에서 유사체의 오염사례도 소수 보고되고 있다. 따라서 국제적인 움직임에 발맞추어 국내에서도 STX 및 유사체의 group 관리를 위한 준비가 필요할 것으로 사료된다. 본 연구에서는 STX 및 유사체의 체계적인 모니터링 및 안전관리의 기반을 마련하고자 STX 및 유사체의 이화학적 특성, 생성조류, 국내외 발생현황, 독성 및 상대독성계수, 분석법, 오염현황 및 관리현황에 대한 폭넓은 검토를 수행하고자 하였다.

Jellyfish envenomation is a world-wide health problem, which often seriously affect the fishery and bathing activities. To date, few individual jellyfish venoms proteins have been thoroughly characterized yet. In this work, four species of scyphozoan jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai, Cyanea nozakii, Aurellia aurita and Rhopilema esculentum) are compared according to their, cytotoxicity, hemolytic potency, brine shrimp toxicity and protein components. Jellyfish venoms showed higher cytotoxicity in H9C2 heart myoblast than in C2C12 skeletal myoblast, with the exception of C. nozakii venom. This result suggests that the selective cytotoxic effects may be possibly related to their in vivo effects of cardiac tissue dysfunction. On the other hand, hemolytic activity could be also observed from all tested jellyfish venoms. N. nomurai jellyfish venom displaying the greatest hemolytic activity. As an alternative method of evaluating the toxicities of jellyfish venoms, the toxicity on brine shrimp was examined with the four jellyfish venoms. From this, the venom of N. nomurai showed higher toxicity against brine shrimp than the other jellyfish venoms, which is consistent with the results of cytotoxicity assay as well as hemolysis assay of the present study. SDS-PAGE analysis of four jellyfish venoms showed the similar pattern with molecular weight of around 40 kDa, and appeared to be the major protein components. These results provided that N. nomurai jellyfish venom was potently toxic than other scyphozoan jellyfish venoms and may explain to some extent the deleterious effects associated with human envenoming.

Our objective of this study is to design and develop a polyethylene glycol ( PEG2000)-modified multiwall carbon nanotube (PEGylated MWCNT) formulation for oral controlled metronomic chemotherapeutic drug delivery. Multiwall carbon nanotubes undergo various chemical modifications including oxidation with strong acids, conjugation of polyethylene glycol, and coating with cellulose acetate phthalate which resulted in the formation of aqueous dispersion and prevention of drug degradation in acidic environment. Advanced analytical procedure such as Fourier transform infra-red, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering techniques were used to evaluate physicochemical characterization. We also performed in vitro cytotoxic study by MTT assay and results revealed that carboplatin-loaded PEGylated MWCNTs did not show significant detrimental effect on the viability of MDA-MB-231 (human breast cancer) cells. The maximum encapsulation and drug-loading capacity were determined to be 71.58 ± 0.04 and 39.62 ± 0.07%, respectively. The release of carboplatin from PEGylated MWCNTs was investigated at simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), pH 6.8, after optimizing at simulated gastric fluid (SGF), pH 1.2, by enteric coating. Enteric-coated PEGylated MWCNTs exhibit pH-responsive drug activity in a sustained manner especially at pH 6.8. This surface modification strongly suggests that PEGylated MWCNTs could be a potential carrier for metronomic chemotherapeutic agent for high drug resistance, drug with maximum adverse effect and poorly oral bioavailable drugs.

Evodiae Fructus is the dried unripe fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa, and has traditionally been used for treating stomachache and diarrhea. Evodiamine and rutaecarpine, the major biologically active compounds of Evodiae Fructus, are reported to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as inhibit proliferation and metastasis of various cancer cells. The current study investigates the anti-oxidative and anti-cancer effects of the Evodiae Fructus extract, considering varying concentrations of methanol extraction (40, 80, and 95%). High contents of total phenolic compounds were determined in the order of extracts 80, 95, and 40%. Evaluating contents of the 95, 80, and 40% extracts revealed 36.77, 7.29, and 1.86 μg/mg evodiamine, respectively, and 53.02, 17.16, and 3.79 μg/mg rutaecarpine, respectively, with the highest content of both compounds obtained in the 95% extract. DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed to be inversely proportional to the contents of total phenolic compounds, with decreasing SC50 values obtained in the order 80, 95, and 40% extract. The 95 and 80% extracts exerted toxicity to AGS gastric cancer cells, but the 40% extract was non-toxic. Evodiamine is a known anti-cancer agent, and could be responsible for the observed toxicity. Cleavage of PARP, and Caspase-3, -7, -8 and -9 was observed in the 95% extract-treated AGS cells, indicating that cell toxicity exerted by the 95% extract could be attributed to apoptosis.