Sarbani Giri

By Sweety Nath Barbhuiya, Dharmeswar Barhoi and Sarbani Giri

Arsenic is ubiquitously present in the earth’s crust. Population across the world gets exposed to arsenic mainly through drinking water, responsible for causing diseases like hypertension, skin pigmentation, skin lesion, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer. However, arsenic also disturbs the male and female hormone balance in the body, thus, interfering with the process of spermatogenesis and oogenesis. This eventually leads to infertility in the reproductive system irrespective of gender. Cohort studies have revealed that when pregnant women get exposed to arsenic-contaminated water; it leads to abortion, preterm birth, and stillbirth. Thus, arsenic contamination from any source has a devastating effect on the life of organisms and also on the environment.

Part of the book: Environmental Health

By Sweety Nath Barbhuiya, Ringthardi Warisa, Dharmeswar Barhoi, Jurimoni Das and Sarbani Giri

Arsenic is the biggest threat to all living organisms across the world. It is typically present in very minute amounts in rock, soil, air, and water, but these levels are rising as a result of both natural and man-made activity. Exposure to arsenic increases the risk of developing liver, lung, kidney, and bladder malignancies as well as vascular illnesses such as stroke, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease. Arsenic generates oxidative stress, which disrupts the redox balance. In fact, in plants arsenic gets accumulated in different parts of plants upon exposure to either contaminated soil or water, causing hazardous effects on the plant. Therefore, this chapter is aimed to understand the effect of arsenic exposure on the growth and development of the plant as a whole.

Part of the book: Arsenic in the Environment

By Aparajita Das and Sarbani Giri

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated in the body as a by-product of cellular enzymatic reactions. Under normal conditions, an antioxidant defense mechanism in the body regulates the level of ROS produced and maintains a redox balance. However, in cases of metabolic disorder, chronic inflammation, or prolonged exposure to xenobiotics and environmental stressors, this balance is disturbed and leads to the generation of oxidative stress. ROS can attack the structural integrity of the major macromolecules of the body such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins leading to the generation of pathologies including cancer. Polyphenols have emerged as potent nutraceuticals that can not only augment the body’s antioxidant defense system to combat the generated oxidative stress but can also selectively act as pro-oxidants in cancer cells, a dichotomous phenomenon that is being actively studied for implementation in cancer therapeutics. This chapter will present in a comprehensive manner the role of ROS in the pathogenesis of cancer and the application of pro-oxidant nature of polyphenols as chemotherapeutics.

Part of the book: Biochemical and Physiological Response During Oxidative Stress - From Invertebrates to Vertebrates [Working title]