Use of protein extracts from ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata) as carriers of essential metal ions for zooxanthellae

• Grant number: 24/07306-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Breno Pannia Esposito
• Grantee: Ananda Guedes da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Coral reefs are fundamental structures for aquatic ecosystems and, therefore, for cultural and economic activities. Corals are invertebrates that live in symbiosis with microalgae known as zooxanthellae, and this relationship can be affected by environmental stressors (temperature and ocean acidification), leading to the bleaching process, weakening and even making the animal's survival impossible. Mineral supplementation, mainly with iron and manganese, is presented as a strategy to increase the resilience of these organisms, which leads bioinorganic chemistry to a prominent role in the effort to combat the effects of anthropogenic climate change. In this project, iron and manganese complexes with protein extracts from the native plant ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata) will be produced and characterized. Its effects on the growth and photosynthetic activity of zooxanthellae will be studied. Ultimately, the objective is to propose metallic complexes (or a mixture thereof), capable of increasing the viability of corals in impacted environments.