Mandal Paramita
Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag Campus, Bardhaman, West Bengal, 713 104, India.
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2017 May;390(5):443-455. doi: 10.1007/s00210-017-1351-x. Epub 2017 Feb 22.
Population of India and Bangladesh and many other parts of the world are badly exposed to arsenic through drinking water. Due to non-availability of safe drinking water, they are dependent on arsenic-contaminated water. Generally, poverty level is high in those areas with lack of proper nutrition. Arsenic is considered to be an environmental contaminant and widely distributed in the environment due to its natural existence and anthropogenic applications. Contamination of arsenic in both human and animal could occur through air, soil, and other sources. Arsenic exposure mainly occurs in food materials through drinking water with high levels of arsenic in it. High levels of arsenic in groundwater have been found to be associated with various health-related problems including arsenicosis, skin lesions, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive problems, psychological, neurological, immunotoxic, and carcinogenesis. The mechanism of arsenic toxicity consists in its transformation in metaarsenite, which acylates protein sulfhydryl groups, affect on mitochondria by inhibiting succinic dehydrogenase activity and can uncouple oxidative phosphorylation with production of active oxygen species by tissues. A variety of dietary antioxidant supplements are useful to protect the carcinogenetic effects of arsenic. They play crucial role for counteracting oxidative damage and protect carcinogenesis by chelating with heavy metal moiety. Phytochemicals and chelating agents will be beneficial for combating heavy metal-induced carcinogenesis through its biopharmaceutical properties.
印度、孟加拉国以及世界上许多其他地区的人口因饮用含砷的水而严重暴露于砷。由于缺乏安全饮用水，他们依赖受砷污染的水。一般来说，这些地区贫困程度高，缺乏适当的营养。砷被认为是一种环境污染物，由于其天然存在和人为应用而在环境中广泛分布。人和动物体内的砷污染可能通过空气、土壤和其他来源发生。砷暴露主要通过饮用含高砷量的水而在食物中出现。已发现地下水中的高砷含量与各种健康相关问题有关，包括砷中毒、皮肤病变、心血管疾病、生殖问题、心理、神经、免疫毒性和致癌作用。砷的毒性机制在于其转化为偏亚砷酸盐，后者酰化蛋白质巯基，通过抑制琥珀酸脱氢酶活性影响线粒体，并可使氧化磷酸化解偶联，导致组织产生活性氧。多种膳食抗氧化剂补充剂有助于保护免受砷的致癌作用。它们通过与重金属部分螯合，在对抗氧化损伤和保护致癌过程中发挥关键作用。植物化学物质和螯合剂因其生物制药特性，将有助于对抗重金属诱导的致癌作用。
