The Bordeaux mixture, fungicides composed of copper sulfate, is commonly used in organic production. This use has been questioned owing to the impact of copper accumulation in the environment, which can affect living organisms negatively. Here, was analyzed the presence of copper levels in soils and in orange and grape juices that received Bordeaux mixture fungicide treatments. Furthermore, we evaluated copper toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes by assessing some of their biochemical and behavioral parameters after acute and chronic copper exposure. The metal exposure in vivo was performed at concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.7 mg/L, compared with a control group that received ultrapure water. The results showed that copper was present in the sampled soils at higher levels than in the control area soil. Copper was detected in an average value of 0.25 mg/L in orange juice and 0.69 mg/L in grape juice. The acute and chronic exposure conditions showed behavioral changes and an activation of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. However, chronic exposure to low copper concentrations led to inhibition of this enzyme. Thus, the copper concentrations detected in the fruit juices acted as modulators of the cholinergic system and modified the behavioral parameters in C. elegans.

This study examined behavioral and enzymatic changes of C. elegans from its exposure to aluminum, and the resulting relationship with Alzheimer's disease. After chronic and acute exposure to aluminum, the results indicated that it alters the cholinergic status and behavior parameters of the nematode, suggesting a relationship between exposure to aluminum and the etiology of AD.

Neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly common in humans. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the presence of extracellular plaques containing -amyloid peptides and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains. Researchers have focused on the elucidation of a correlation between high concentrations of aluminum or iron (in the organism with observed neuropathology). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of aluminum and iron on the behavioral parameters (pharyngeal pumping and defecation cycle) of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans pretreated with deferoxamine (DFX). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was evaluated as well. DFX is a chelant that is widely used for the treatment of metal toxicity, and it has a high affinity for aluminum and iron. The worms were pretreated with DFX, and then exposed to aluminum and iron. In the absence of DFX, aluminum exposure decreased pharyngeal pumping compared with that in the control group. The defecation cycle of the control was significantly different from that of the worms exposed to aluminum. In contrast, an increased defecation cycle was observed in worms exposed to iron without DFX pretreatment. AChE activity increased in aluminum-exposed groups that received DFX pretreatment compared with those that did not receive pretreatment. These results suggest that pretreatment with DFX is effective in reducing metal toxicity, particularly with reference to AChE activity, which did not decrease in groups that did not receive DFX pretreatment. K E Y W O R D Saluminum, chelate therapy, cholinergic system, iron, worms

No abstract