Reena C Jhamtani | Gujarat Forensic Sciences university (original) (raw)

Research Papers by Reena C Jhamtani

Industries are major sources of toxic discharges. The wastewater from industries exhibit adverse ... more Industries are major sources of toxic discharges. The wastewater from industries exhibit adverse effects in aquatic system. The present study was carried out to investigate the impact of industrial effluent discharge on zebrafish in terms of oxidative stress. Biomarkers selected for oxidative stress monitoring were evaluated in liver, kidney and brain of zebrafish exposed to the effluent (5 times diluted). Results indicate that acute exposure to the effluent is capable of inducing toxicity in zebrafish. From the outcome of this study it can be concluded that further wastewater management/treatment is required to overcome the potential risks posed by effluents to ecosystems and human health.

Aldrin (ALD), a persistent-organic-pollutant (POP), an organochlorine-cyclodiene-pesticide is hig... more Aldrin (ALD), a persistent-organic-pollutant (POP), an organochlorine-cyclodiene-pesticide is highly toxic in nature. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNP) are widely used for various industrial applications. Despite the remarkable research on pesticide toxicity, the work with impact of nanoparticles on POP has been dealt with marginally. Chemicals co-exist in the environment and exhibit interactive effects. An investigation was carried out to evaluate the individual and combined effects of ALD (6 ppm) and TNP (60 ppm) exposure at sub-lethal concentration for 24 h in zebrafish. Significant reversal of lipid peroxidation level in liver and brain tissues and restoration in enhanced catalase activity in all examined tissues were observed in combined group. For other parameters, combined exposure of ALD and TNP does not show significant reversal action on ALD toxicity. Further studies are inline to understand combined effects of both to achieve significant reversal of ALD toxicity by TNP nanoparticles with threshold concentration of aldrin.

scialert, 2017

Background and Objective: Lead has a variety of uses, namely in making bullets, pipes, wires, sin... more Background and Objective: Lead has a variety of uses, namely in making bullets, pipes, wires, sinks, containers, leaded gasoline, paints, battery and radiators. Lead emissions cause environmental contamination which affects nervous, renal and cardiovascular systems. Lead is known to cause biochemical alterations in tissues. The present study evaluates the acute effects of lead at sub-lethal concentrations in zebrafish. Materials and Methods: A total 72 zebrafish were divided into four groups viz. control and exposed groups which were given 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 ml/ L (ppm) of lead CRM for 24 hours. Levels of malionaldehyde, glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activities were determined in liver, kidney and brain. Statistical significance was determined using ANOVA where p≤0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Acute exposure of zebrafish to lead caused increased lipid peroxidation and elevated activity of glutathione peroxidase in a concentration dependent manner. However, no change in glutathione content was observed at 0.5 ml/ L concentration while it was elevated at 1 ml/ L. There was alteration in the activity of other enzymes in a concentration dependent manner. Increased concentration of lead affected the brain tissue more as compared to liver and kidney. Conclusion: Lead exposure induces oxidative stress and a decline in enzyme activity presumably causes lipid peroxidation due to increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species. The biochemical mechanisms mediating low-level toxicity are not clearly understood, but in several biological systems lead alters cellular processes. Studies suggest that no threshold levels for lead have been prescribed which causes adverse effects. Safe disposals of domestic sewage and industrial effluents as well as enforcement of laws to protect our environment are therefore advocated.

Gene expression studies require high-quality intact total RNA for real-time PCR analysis. Degrade... more Gene expression studies require high-quality intact total RNA for real-time PCR analysis. Degraded or impure sample can provide disastrous results in the subsequence process. RNA is very unstable and can be contaminated easily by ribonuclease (RNase), therefore utmost quality control checks are required to ensure best quality RNA with high yield. Herein, we have come out with a protocol to isolate total RNA from liver, kidney and brain of adult zebrafish using a commercially available chemical denaturant and subsequent clean-up to remove traces of DNA and impurities. Kidney tissue gives maximum yield of total RNA concentration i.e. 135.8786 ng/µL. Purity of isolated RNA was observed with an absorbance ranging from 1.9 to 2.0 observed in all samples. The whole procedure was repeatedly performed to get satisfactory results. Throughout these procedures there are numerous quality control checks to ensure that the sample is neither degraded nor contaminated.

Forensic toxicology focuses on medico-legal aspects of chemical exposure and toxic injury on livi... more Forensic toxicology focuses on medico-legal aspects of chemical exposure and toxic injury on living organism and an environmental hazard i.e. a substance, state or event, which has the potential to threaten the natural environment and / or adversely affect people's health. For instance, aldrin: a cyclodiene-organochlorine pesticide is classified as persistent organic pollutant (POP). The use of aldrin has been banned long ago but still it is detected in ecosystem in its biotransformed form i.e. dieldrin (metabolite of aldrin) in the quantity higher than acceptable limits. Present editorial provides a baseline data on aldrin toxicity.

A B S T R A C T The greatest challenge in environmental toxicology is to understand the effects o... more A B S T R A C T The greatest challenge in environmental toxicology is to understand the effects of mixture toxicity as environmental pollutants co-exist and exhibit combined effects. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the mixture toxicity associated with two or more co-existing compounds. Pesticides are widely used to control pest, they are ubiquitous in nature and present in all environmental components. Pesticide residue can be detected in almost all components of environment and food samples. Imidacloprid (IMD) (neonicotinoid), dichlorvos (DIC) (organophosphate) and atrazine (ATZ) are three widely used pesticides for commercial uses. Present work includes the assessment of effects of individual exposure of IMD (27.5 mg/L), DIC (15 mg/L), and ATZ (03 mg/L) and in combination of three (CMD) (13.75 + 7.5 + 1.5 mg/L IMD, DIC & ATZ, respectively) in terms of LPO, GSH content and antioxidant enzymes activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) in zebrafish (Danio rerio), exposed for 24 h. CMD group exhibits highest lipid peroxidation than other individually exposed groups. Similarly, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were highest in CMD group with reduced GSH content. Results indicate that exposure to mixture of pesticides develops synergistic effects which were more toxic in compare to individual exposure and also produce toxicity in all examined tissues rather than selective organ toxicity.

Papers by Reena C Jhamtani

Toxicology International

Smokeless Tobacco [SLT], a non-combustible form of tobacco, is consumed by 350 million people in ... more Smokeless Tobacco [SLT], a non-combustible form of tobacco, is consumed by 350 million people in 133 countries across the globe. Worldwide, Smokeless Tobacco products vary greatly in their formulations and chemical composition. Understanding of toxic and carcinogenic constituent variations in such products can provide valuable insights for the development of effective tobacco control policies. Though the assessment of SLT products has been done earlier, the information is not available in an inclusive and handy format as entire profiling. Hence, there is a vital need to develop a one-stop information source providing comprehensive information on SLT products. PubMed and Google scholar databases were systematically searched from 1995 till April 2020 for observational studies on Smokeless Tobacco products and their chemical components. The included studies were evaluated and data were extracted and reviewed.A wide variation was noted in the association of various diseases and specific...

Background: This investigation provides an updated study measuring the levels of chemical compone... more Background: This investigation provides an updated study measuring the levels of chemical components for the top-selling smokeless tobacco products (SLT) viz. khaini, mishri, pan masala + tobacco, snus, and tobacco-betel nut mixture in the Indian market. Methods:A total of twelve SLT were collected and analyzed for nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using various standard techniques of gas and liquid chromatography(as GC-MS, GC-TEA, LC-MS/MS)at two different laboratories and compared to previous studies. Results: Mishri contains a major share of tobacco-specific nitrosaminesas NNN (10 folds where folds refer to a comparison of average) and NNK (25-30 folds) with higher ratio than other SLT. Total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons content of mishri quantified to be 702-794 µg/g of SLT which was 7-9 fold higher than snus. On geographical distribution, SLT composition reflects inter and intra-differences. TSNA levels were drastically different between mishri and khaini sa...

Archives in Cancer Research, 2021

Background: One of top 3 tobacco producing and consuming nations, India accounts for 80% of globa... more Background: One of top 3 tobacco producing and consuming nations, India accounts for 80% of global Smokeless Tobacco (SLT) users which is twice the number of smokers. Oral cancer mortality rates in South Asia are more than double the global average and highly correlated to the consumption of SLT products. Yet, these remain very accessible across countries like India in the form of flavored chewing products with or without tobacco priced 3 to 5 rupees (US$ 0.05). Methods and findings: Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) initiatives for these countries face challenges mainly concerning affordability, acceptability, and usability of alternatives. Additionally, disease and substance use data can be vital for establishing region-specific THR objectives. This study presents historical data on the prevalence of a) smoking and lung cancer, and b) Smokeless Tobacco (SLT) and oral cancer for India. Further, data is presented for Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines (TSNAs) found in popular SLT products fro...

Toxicology International, 2019

Forensic toxicology is the branch of forensic science which utilizes toxicology, pharmacology and... more Forensic toxicology is the branch of forensic science which utilizes toxicology, pharmacology and analytical chemistry to help in legal investigations of suicidal, homicidal and accidental poisoning cases. Accidental poisoning cases related to occupational exposure of pesticides are also very common. Zebrafish is a versatile model organism that has been used as a model organism in different field of science, has various practical advantages over other vertebrate models. Present review summarizes the effects of pesticides and the use of adult zebrafish as a model organism in forensic toxicology research to understand the symptoms/effects and mechanism of pesticide poisoning.

International Journal of Bioassays, 2017

Gene expression studies require high-quality intact total RNA for real-time PCR analysis. A degra... more Gene expression studies require high-quality intact total RNA for real-time PCR analysis. A degraded or impure sample can provide disastrous results in the downstream process. RNA is very unstable and can be contaminated easily by ribonuclease (RNase), therefore utmost quality control checks are required to ensure high quality RNA. Herein, we have come out with a protocol to isolate total RNA from liver, kidney and brain of adult zebrafish using a commercially available chemical denaturant and subsequent clean-up to remove traces of DNA and impurities. Kidney tissue give maximum yield of total RNA concentration i.e. 135.8786 ng/µL. The whole procedure was performed twice with an absorbance ranging from 1.9 to 2.0 observed in all samples. Throughout these procedures there are numerous quality control checks to ensure that the sample is not degraded or contaminated.

Research Journal of Environmental Toxicology, 2017

International Journal of Aging Research, 2020

Review Article IJOAR (2020) 3:68 Smokeless Tobacco dependence and cessation measures in India Ind... more Review Article IJOAR (2020) 3:68 Smokeless Tobacco dependence and cessation measures in India India being the largest smokeless tobacco (SLT) producer and consumer in the South East Asia Region (SEAR) entitled with a range of products. SLT consumption is very common because it is associated with socioeconomic and cultural perspectives in the India. After the implementation of the first treaty of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC), public health standards were reaffirmed and improvised through successful implementation of articles since 2007 as reported in the global progress factsheet. Many measures have been implemented for achieving the success of WHO-FCTC in India and to control the huge disease burden induced by tobacco use. The objective of the present study was to understand and explore the factors involved in the SLT demand reduction by revealing the dependence and cessation implementation in India in the context of strategies and policies. For this study, we searched for SLT dependence and SLT cessation literature survey in PubMed and obtained 102 literatures consisting of studies and reviews, which were further scrutinized by excluding the reviews, studies conducted abroad and studies conducted within the last 5 years (after 2015). No statistical significance was observed in comparison of National to International SLT dependence and an attempt to quit SLT following the tenure of a year. This is in-line with GATS-2 and international data. We have also discussed a diverse approach in the control of SLT at different levels-such as SLT users, healthcare professional, policy advocates supplier, labeling, legal policies, and educating at various platforms. Effective strategies for the cessation of SLT is mandatory with proper guidance for the manufacturer, users and sellers in controlling SLT products.

Aldrin is a systematic toxicant, belongs to cyclodiene class of organochlorine pesticide and bann... more Aldrin is a systematic toxicant, belongs to cyclodiene class of organochlorine pesticide and banned due to its toxic, bioaccumalative and persistent nature but still detected from environmental components. Present study includes the assessment of aldrin toxicity at two sublethal concentrations in zebrafish. A total 81 zebrafish were divided into three groups viz. group 1: Control, group 2 and 3: Exposed groups which were given 3 mg/mL and 6 mg/mL of aldrin, respectively for 24 hours. The markers of oxidative stress viz. antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) were examined in terms of biochemical activities and gene expression. Acute exposure of aldrin (both concentrations) caused significant alteration in antioxidant enzymes activities and gene expression in liver, kidney and brain tissues, which were more prominent in brain in concentration dependent manner. Study provides a baseline data to understand alterations in enzymatic activity and e...

Indian Journal of Forensic and Community Medicine, 2021

Tobacco use increases the risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB), and blights the response to trea... more Tobacco use increases the risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB), and blights the response to treatment of the disease. Although Links between Tobacco and TB have long been suspected, still many Indian patients continue to use tobacco. Our goal is to couple reviews of older and new research to provide definitive evidence of this dangerous connection so as to put an end to the TB epidemic.: Search of studies with English language abstract published between 2000 to June 2020 was undertaken in Google Scholar and PubMed. Search included the use of keywords “tobacco” with “tuberculosis,” “cessation,” or ‘’Tuberculosis Control Programme’’. Reference lists of the articles were examined for other relevant titles that included effective estimates of tobacco exposure in relation to tuberculosis outcomes.: Available evidence shows a strong association between tobacco and tuberculosis. People who use tobacco unknowingly put themselves at high risk of getting this disease. Reduction in the preval...

Toxicology Reports, 2017

The greatest challenge in environmental toxicology is to understand the effects of mixture toxici... more The greatest challenge in environmental toxicology is to understand the effects of mixture toxicity as environmental pollutants co-exist and exhibit combined effects. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the mixture toxicity associated with two or more co-existing compounds. Pesticides are widely used to control pest, they are ubiquitous in nature and present in all environmental components. Pesticide residue can be detected in almost all components of environment and food samples. Imidacloprid (IMD) (neonicotinoid), dichlorvos (DIC) (organophosphate) and atrazine (ATZ) are three widely used pesticides for commercial uses. Present work includes the assessment of effects of individual exposure of IMD (27.5 mg/L), DIC (15 mg/L), and ATZ (03 mg/L) and in combination of three (CMD) (13.75 + 7.5 + 1.5 mg/L IMD, DIC & ATZ, respectively) in terms of LPO, GSH content and antioxidant enzymes activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) in zebrafish (Danio rerio), exposed for 24 h. CMD group exhibits highest lipid peroxidation than other individually exposed groups. Similarly, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were highest in CMD group with reduced GSH content. Results indicate that exposure to mixture of pesticides develops synergistic effects which were more toxic in compare to individual exposure and also produce toxicity in all examined tissues rather than selective organ toxicity.

Journal of Forensic Sciences & Criminal Investigation, 2017

Environmental toxicology and pharmacology, 2018