Selective membrane permeability and peroxidase activity response of lettuce and arugula irrigated with cyanobacterial-contaminated water

Author(s)

Cordeiro-Araujo, Micheline Kezia ^{[1, 2]} ; Chia, Mathias Ahii ^[1] ; Hereman, Talita Caroline ^[1] ; Sasaki, Fabiana Fumi ^[1] ; Bittencourt-Oliveira, Maria do Carmo ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Luiz de Queiroz Coll Agr, Dept Biol Sci, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Rural & Fed Univ Pernambuco, Bot Grad Program, BR-52171030 Recife, PE - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES; v. 74, n. 2, p. 1547-1553, JUL 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 10

Abstract

Irrigation with microcystins-contaminated water has been shown to cause oxidative stress and negatively affect the development of vegetables. However, the effect of non-microcystins producing cyanobacteria on vegetables is yet to be investigated. In this study, the effects of microcystin-producing (MC+) and non-microcystin-producing (MC-) cyanobacterial (Microcystis aeruginosa) extracts on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and arugula (Eruca sativa Mill.) were investigated. Chlorophyll production, peroxidase (POD) activity and selective membrane permeability of the vegetables were monitored after exposure to 0.6-12.5 A mu g L-1 MC+ for 15 days. For MC- extracts, an equivalent biomass of each MC+ extract concentration per total MCs concentration was also applied to the vegetables for 15 days. In arugula, exposure to both toxic and non-toxic cyanobacterial extracts resulted in higher POD activity than the control. However, in lettuce plants, significantly lower POD activities were recorded in the presence of MC+ and MC- extracts. Although both crude (MC+ and MC-) extracts increased plasma membrane electrical conductivity of the vegetables, the effect of MC+ extract was higher. Chlorophyll content of both vegetables was not significantly influenced by MC+ and MC- extracts. The results of the present study show that vegetables have variable responses to MC+ and MC- extracts of M. aeruginosa. Therefore, care must be taken to avoid the excessive use of M. aeruginosa contaminated water to irrigate vegetables, regardless of their MCs production potential. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/11306-3 - The Effects of anatoxin-a and cylindrospermopsin at different nitrogen concentrations and photon irradiances on the physiology of Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanobacteria) and Scenedesmus acuminatus (Chlolrophyta)
• Grantee: Mathias Ahii Chia
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 14/01934-0 - Bioaccumulation and detoxification study of cyanobacteria toxins (microcystins and cilindrospermopsin) in lettuce and arugula
• Grantee: Maria Do Carmo Bittencourt de Oliveira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants