The indiscriminate discharge of industrial effluents, raw sewage wastes and other waste pollute most of the environments and affect survival and physiological activities of target organisms. Metals in particular have a tendency to accumulate and undergo food chain magnification. Heavy metals affect all groups of organisms and ecosystem processes, including microbial activities. The bioaccumulation of trace elements in living organisms and biomagnification in them describes the processes and pathways of these pollutants from one trophic level to another, exhibiting the higher bioaccumulation ability in the organisms concerned. Some of these organisms, like fishes, are consumed by human beings. They could also cause catastrophic diseases like Minamata and Itai-Itai. Remediation approaches such as excavation and land fill, thermal treatment, electroreclamation and soil capping have been proposed depending on the extension, depth and kind of contamination, but all are expensive and environmentally destructive. Hence, reduction of toxic elements in aquatic environment can be progressively monitored by currently accepted and updated methods.

Dengue fever is the most deleterious and rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease, and to date it has resisted attempts to eradicate it. Carica papaya L. leaf extract is traditionally used to cure dengue fever and its associated symptoms. However, no in vitro studies have been reported for the anti-dengue efficacy of this extract. So, the present study attempted to determine the phytochemicals present in Carica papaya L. leaf extracts, as well as their cytotoxic effect and anti-DENV2 activity on the LLC-MK2 cell line. Methanolic extracts, containing triterpenoids and flavonoids, showed cytotoxic effects (CC 50 = 0.6156 mg ml −1 ), whereas a chloroform extract, rich in alkaloids, tannin and saponin, was non-cytotoxic (CC 50 = > 1 mg ml −1 ) to LLC-MK2 cells and it showed inhibitory activity (EC 50 = > 1 mg ml −1 ) against DENV2 with a selectivity index value of ± > 1. This indicates that the crude chloroform extract has moderate or less inhibitory action against DENV2 growth in in vitro conditions. The current study will help in the future development of new and novel drugs against dengue pathogens with high efficacy.

The main aim of endodontic treatment is disinfection of root canal and to prevent chances of reinfection. The most commonly isolated species due to oral infections is Enterococcus faecalis. For nonsurgical endodontic procedures Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) has been the irrigant of choice. The mechanism by which endodontic irrigants induce cytotoxicity is still unclear. However, many studies clearly indicated that rapid expression of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to free radicals formation which results in cytotoxicity and cell death. Hence this study was done to determine the viability of cells and oxidative stress mediated by NaOCl, an endodontic irrigant. The irrigants were tested for their effect against fibroblast isolated from human primary buccal mucosa and against 3T3 Cell line. Antibacterial activity was performed against Enterococcus faecalis. Cytotoxicity was determined by MTT. To determine the oxidative stress, total intracellular glutathione, superoxide radical scavenging activity, and catalase assays were performed. The MIC (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration) for the irrigants against Enterococcus faecalis was found to be 10 µl. 10 µl of NaOCl plain 5.2% produced the same effect as that of 10 μl of NaOCl plain 3%. The higher concentration of the irrigants decreased viability of the cells during dye exclusion assay. Enzyme based study showed there is a decrease in enzyme dehydrogenase when treat with irrigants. Glutathione, SOD level was increased gradually on 3T3 cells. But CAT level was increased when the irrigants concentration less. The results of this study indicated that endodontic irrigants were potentially controlling the Enterococcus faecalis and non-toxic/reduced viability of 3T3 cells by MTT which could be due to the oxidative stress and loss of cellular integrity probably due to the liberation of ROS evidenced by the alteration of antioxidant enzymes Glutathione, SOD and CAT.

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