Carbonic anhydrase impairment in cadmium-treated Ceratophyllum demersum L. (free floating freshwater macrophyte): toxicity reversal by zinc

Abstract

The influence of Cd (non-essential) and Zn (essential) on the functioning of carbonic anhydrase was investigated. Zinc restored the cadmium impaired carbonic anhydrase in Ceratophyllum demersum L. (coontail), a free floating freshwater macrophyte. Evidence from purified carbonic anhydrase in a two-step process using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) Sephadex A50 and Sephadex G-25 (m = 43 kDa by SDS-PAGE), and Zn content by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, are presented.