Background: The objective of this study was to examine the deltamethrin (DM)-induced testicular oxidative damage and genotoxicity and the possible mechanism by which zinc protects against these alterations in rats. Methods: Four study groups of ten male rats were formed and treated for 90 days as follows: (G1) controls; (G2) DM-treated rats; (G3) rats treated with DM and zinc and (G4) zinc-treated rats. After the treatment period, the animals were euthanized, and samples were collected for analysis of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitiric oxide (NO) and mutation in TP53 and H-Ras genes. Results: DM-treated group showed a significant decrease in TAC and increased level of NO as compared to control group. Moreover, Mutations in both in TP53 and H-Ras genes were also observed. Co-treatment with Zn partially improved the oxidative stress induced by DM and decreased the frequency of genetic mutations. Conclusion: Zinc is proved to ameliorate the adverse effects implicated by the DM.

In the present study, molecular phylogeny of bivalve family Veneridae (Mollusca:Bivalvia) was analysed using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of 21 species belonging to different subfamilies of Veneridae. ITS of ribosomal DNA can be utilised for delineating evolutionary and genetic relationships between closely related taxa. ITS region of Paphia malabarica belonging to subfamily Tapetinae and Meretrix casta belonging to meretricinae was sequenced. Total genomic DNA was extracted from the adductor muscle using CTAB protocol and the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA was PCR amplified and sequenced using ITS (ITS1 and ITS2) forward and reverse primers. Total length of sequence was found to be 895 bp in Paphia malabarica and 785 bp in Meretrix casta. GC contents in the sequences were found to be 58.99% and 64.68% respectively in Paphia malabarica and Meretrix casta. ITS1 region of Paphia malabarica consisted of 393 bp with GC content 58.12% and 309 bp with 63.75% GC content in Meretrix casta. ITS2 region generated 248bp with 63% GC content in Paphia malabarica and 240bp with 72.06% GC content in Meretrix casta. 5.8S region rendered 157bp with 60% GC content in Paphia malabarica and 138bp with 61.32% GC content in Meretrix casta. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using Neighbor-Joining and Maximum-Parsimony methods. The analysis produced trees with similar topology. The tree topologies indicated two clades with three well resolved groups. Phylogenetic analysis supported the morphological classification and monophyly of the family Veneridae.