Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary chitin and chitosan on growth, immune responses and resistance of grass prawn Penaeus monodon against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and Vibrio infections. In the first experiment, two levels (0.5¡B1 g/100g diet) of chitin and three levels (0.5¡B1¡B5 g/100g diet) of chitosan were evaluated. The results show that weight gain of the shrimp fed on diet containing no chitosan or the lowest level of chitosan (0.5 %) was higher than other groups. In the second experiment, four levels of chitosan (0¡B0.5¡B1¡B5 g/100g diet) were tested. Weight gains of the control (0 %) and 0.5 % chitosan groups were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the 0.1 and 1 % chitosan groups. Shrimp survival rate was not influenced by chitosan inclusion. The test shrimp of the first experiment were evaluated for their immune responses after dietary exposures. The results show that phenoloxidase activity and superoxide dismutase were not significantly different (P>0.05) among treatments. The production of superoxide anion in the 0.5 % chitin group was significantly (P<0.05) lower than the other groups at day 3 and 12. The last experiment evaluated the effectiveness of dietary chitosan against infection of WSSV and Vibrio damsela. Shrimp were fed for 20 days on test diets containing four levels of chitosan (0¡B0.5¡B1¡B5 g/100g diet) and then challenged by injection of WSSV or Vibrio solution. In the WSSV challenge, except at day 7, shrimp survivals were not different among treatments. At day 7, however, the survival rates of the shrimp fed the diet containing 0.1 or 1 % chitosan were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of the other groups. When challenged with Vibrio damsela, there was no difference in shrimp survival among dietary treatments. The present study shows that dietary chitin and chitosan do not significantly enhance immune responses and disease resistance of juvenile P. monodon. Dietary incorporation of chitin or chitosan negatively affects shrimp growth.

In the stamen (male reproductive tissue) of petunia 'Hurrah' flowers, the occurrence of SOD (superoxide dismutase) provided an effective anti-oxidative mechanism against superoxide production. Superoxide production and SOD activities at five developmental stages showed a positive correlation. The highest superoxide production and SOD activity in different parts of the stamen (anther, filament and pollen) were at stages with high metabolic activity: (i) during growing buds (in anthers and filaments) (ii) when flowers with predehiscent anthers were fully open (in pollen). In all parts of the stamen, SOD activity was the lowest at stage five (fully open flowers with dehiscent anthers), superoxide production was also lower at this stage with the exception of the pollen. The highest SOD activity was localized in anthers with the pollen, suggesting that the filaments only have a structural support function. SOD was examined on a native PAGE with regard to the isozymes present within the stamen of five developmental stages. Three isozymes, which were identified as Mn SOD, Fe SOD and Cu/Zn SOD by reactions with inhibitors, were commonly found at five developmental stages in crude extracts of anthers, filaments and pollen. The developmental stages with stronger isozyme bands on the native PAGE were consistent with the stages with higher SOD activities, and the Mn SOD and Fe SOD isozyme bands were more intense than Cu/Zn SOD bands, suggesting the activities of Mn SOD and Fe SOD in the crude extracts were much higher than Cu/Zn SOD. SOD from 1,000 stamens of dehiscent mature flowers was partially purified using ammonium sulphate fractionation and DEAE cellulose column chromatography. The purified bound fraction contained only one SOD isozyme on a native PAGE, which was shown to be a Mn SOD, as it is sensitive to neither hydrogen peroxide nor cyanide. The specific activity of the purified SOD was 66.5 U/mg and the yield of total activity was 3.0%. The progress of enzyme purification was monitored using SDS-PAGE and the bound fraction contained two major polypeptide bands. The purified enzyme activity was optimal in the range of neutral pH, but it was the highest at pH 7.8. Through incubation at various pH levels for 24 hours, favourable stability of the purified fraction was confirmed around a pH range of 7 to 8.5. The purified enzyme retained 87% of its initial activity at -20 ? after one month of storage, but at 4 ? only 38% of the initial activity remained after the same period of storage.

The production of reactive oxygen species by mitochondria is implicated in the mitochondrial dysfunction associated with a range of diseases and ageing. In contrast, reactive oxygen species produced by mitochondria are involved in redox signalling pathways necessary for modulating a number of cell processes. Mitochondrially targeted antioxidants comprised of an antioxidant moiety linked to a lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cation have recently been used to decrease reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative damage to mitochondria and to investigate the role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in redox signalling. These lipophilic cations are selectively accumulated by mitochondria within cells due to the mitochondrial membrane potential. This thesis presents the synthesis and characterization of mitochondrially targeted antioxidant superoxide dismutase and thiol peroxidase mimetics. A mitochondrially targeted derivative of the Mn(II) macrocycle SOD mimetic M40403 (MitoSOD) was synthesized by Mn(II) template synthesis of a chiral tetraamine component and a triphenylphosphonium derivative of 2,6-pyridinedialdehyde. Racemic tetraamine was synthesized by mono-protection of racemic diamine followed by reductive amination of glyoxal and deprotection of di-protected tetraamine but overall this was found to be less efficient than a reported method based on trityl protection. The synthesis of the triphenylphosphonium derivative of 2,6-pyridinedialdehyde involved substitution of protected 4-bromo-2,6-pyridinedialdehyde by the thiolate of 3-mercaptoproanol followed by simultaneous deprotection and alkyl bromide formation, and triphenylphosphine substitution of the thioalkyl bromide substituent. MitoSOD was found to be more lipophilic than M40403 and was kinetically stable to dissociation to Mn(II) and macrocyclic ligand at physiological pH. Pulse radiolysis kinetic studies indicated both MitoSOD and M40403 catalyse the dismutation of superoxide. Fast conductivity and spectrophotometric measurements indicated the mechanism of catalysis involved reaction of the Mn(II) centre with superoxide to give a Mn(III)-peroxide intermediate which reacted with further superoxide to give the parent Mn(II) macrocycle. MitoSOD was significantly accumulated by mitochondria and this was dependent to some extent on the mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, MitoSOD appeared to react with a product of mitochondrial succinate respiration. A mitochondrially targeted derivative of the organoselenium thiol peroxidase mimetic ebselen (Mitoebselen) was synthesized by O-alkylation of a phenolic ebselen derivative with a triphenylphosphonium derivative of an alkyl iodide. Reaction of excess triphenylphosphine with an ebselen derivative containing an alkyl iodide substituent resulted in substitution of iodide and, unexpectedly, reduction of the isoselenazole moiety to the diselenide redox form. Mitoebselen and its diselenide were both readily reduced to a selenol by an excess of the physiological thiol glutathione. Reaction of the selenol with excess peroxide generated the diselenide, possibly via reaction of unreacted selenol with Mitoebselen formed from a selenenic acid intermediate or with selenenic acid directly. Mitoebselen and its diselenide were both oxidized by excess peroxide to a selenoxide but these reactions were much slower than those between selenol and peroxides, and those between Mitoebselen or its diselenide with glutathione. Together these studies suggested cyclic pathways other than a selenolisoselenazole-selenol cycle could be involved in Mitoebselen or ebselen-catalysed thiol peroxidation.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-170).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.S. in zoology)--Washington State University, May 2010. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 22, 2010). "School of Biological Sciences." Includes bibliographical references (p. 35-39).

Macrocycle (H2L1) was prepared by a Schiff base condensation reaction of 2,6-diformylpyridine and 1,3-diamino-2-propanol in the presence of Ba(II) as template ion. Seven-coordinate Mn(II) complexes were prepared by transmetallation reactions of the initial [Ba(H2L1)(μ1,2-ClO4)]2(ClO4)2 complex. Two mononuclear, ring-contracted complexes were obtained when methanol or ethanol were used as solvents in transmetallation reactions. For both complexes, X-ray analysis showed that the H2L1 macrocycle undergoes a ring-contraction via addition of methanol or ethanol across one imine bond, followed by a nucleophilic addition of the secondary amine across an adjacent imine bond resulting in a six-membered, hexahydropyrimidine ring sitting in a chair conformation. The ring-contraction process reduces the size of the cavity in the macrocycle to accommodate one Mn(II) ion in the macrocycle. The macrocyclic tetraimine ligand (H2L1) gave access to the polynuclear, ring-expanded assemblies, [Mn4(H2L*)Cl4][MnCl4] and [Mn4(H2L*)(N3)4](ClO4)2, when acetonitrile was used as a solvent. The macrocycle (H2L1) undergoes rearrangement from a 20-membered to a 40-membered tetranuclear Mn(II) complex. Manganese complexes of acyclic ligands, derived from 2,6-diformylpyridine and several aminoalcohols and aminophenols, were prepared and structurally characterised by X-ray crystallography. Most of the complexes are seven-coordinate with approximate pentagonal bipyramidal geometry, however, some five, six and seven-coordinate complexes were identified. Asymmetric and symmetric tripodal Schiff base ligands and their manganese complexes were also prepared and characterised. Additionally, N-alkylated benzimidazole 2,6-bis(1-butyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)pyridine and its Mn(II) complexes were prepared and characterised. The potential application of the complexes has been tested in two main areas: (a) as new catalase mimics and (b) as new superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimics. The trinuclear, acyclic complex, [Mn3(L9)2(OAc)2(MeOH)2] 2MeOH, derived from 2,6-diformylpyridine and 2-aminophenol, was found to be the most efficient catalase mimic of the tested complexes with approximately 500 molecules of H2O2 broken down per second for each complex during the fastest rate of activity. Catalase testing showed that an increase of the arm size of the tripodal complexes produced an increase in activity overall for the complexes. Most of the complexes tested for catalase activity showed an induction period prior to the activity being observed. This may be due to a rearrangement occurring before catalase activity is observed. The tripodal complex, [Mn(L18)](ClO4)2 is the only complex to show a catalase activity without added base, but with a long induction period. The results that are presented indicate that the axial ligands have an effect on both the rate of catalase activity and the observed induction period. The SOD results indicated that the complex, [Mn(H2L6)Cl(H2O)]Cl H2O, derived from 2,6-diformylpyridine and 1 aminopropan-2-ol, shows the highest SOD activity amongst the complexes prepared, with a rate of 2.05x106 M-1s-1 and the IC50 value of 0.78 μM. Most of the complexes showed SOD activity with a rate around 105-106 M-1s-1. The SOD results showed that the axial ligands have an effect on SOD activity; strongly bound ligands such as thiocyanate and azide generally result in lower SOD activity. Most of the complexes showed both SOD and catalase activity. Ring-contracted complexes, [Mn(H3L2)(NCS)2] and [Mn(H3L3)(NCS)2], show high rates of superoxide dismutase activity but possess limited catalase activity.

For trace elements, such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), the bioavailability of these elements, Cu and Zn, in biosolids is important because both are essential elements and both are potential contaminants when biosolids are land applied. A greenhouse study was conducted in factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications on a soil treated with four rates of Cu (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) and four rates of Zn (0, 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg) on celery plants to investigate the distribution and mobility of these elements as well as growth and antioxidant changes of celery. The results of antioxidant changes were inconclusive due to irregular changes with Zn and Cu applications. However, generally the results show that Cu did not affect superoxide dismutase (SOD) or peroxidase (POD) activities in most of the treatments. On the other hand, Zn stimulated SOD and POD activities in most of the treatments. The photosynthesis rate decreased with the applications of Cu and Zn at the rates above 100 and 300 mg/kg and increased in low Cu concentration (50 mg/kg) compared to S (soil without biosolid).

published_or_final_version / abstract / Biological Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy