ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Effect of Sex Steroids and Corticosteroids on the
Content of Soluble Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Reducing
Sugars in Wolffia arrhiza (L.) Wimm. ( Lemnaceae )
I.K. Szamrej 1, R. Czerpak 2*
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1. The Provincional Sanitary- Epidemiological Station in Bialystok, ul. Legionowa 8, 15-099 Białystok, Poland
2 Institute of Biology University of Bialystok ul. Świerkowa 20B, 15-950 Białystok, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2004;13(5):565-571
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Research on the influence of sex steroids: ß-estradiol, testosterone and corticosteroids: cortisone, cortisole
(glucocorticoids), 11-deoxycorticosterone (mineralocorticoid) and prednisolone (chemical derivative
of hydrocortisone) on changes of soluble proteins, nucleic acids and reducing sugars as a content of Wolffia
arrhiza ( Lemnaceae ) has been conducted. Wolffia has been cultivated in Bialystok’s municipal tap water
(rich in mineral but poor in organic components) during a 20-day period, in the optimal concentration of
10-5 to 10-6 M. It has been ascertained that the maximal stimulation of nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) was
caused by ß-estradiol in the range from 176-181%, testosterone 168-173%, cortisone 154-157%, 11-deoxycorticosterone
152-155%, cortisole 141-148% and prednisolone from 129-131%, in comparison to a
100% control. The soluble proteins content was stimulated the strongest by ß-estradiol - 181%, testosterone
- 170%, cortisole - 141%, cortisone - 138%, prednisolone - 137%, and weaker by 11-deoxycorticosterone
- 128%. Reducing sugars content was stimulated most intensely only on the 5th day of cultivation by cortisone
in 165%, 11-deoxycorticosterone - 160-164%, cortisole in 157% and prednisolone in 149%, whereas
ß-estradiol had a stimulatory influence of 133-138% and testosterone – 119-121% in comparison to 100%
control during the whole period of 20 days of Wolffia arrhiza cultivation.