Abstract
ABSTRACT Presence of toxic compounds in marine coastal waters has increased exponentially since Industrial Revolution. In this way, we aimed to evaluate biochemical and physiological changes occurring within Hypnea musciformis after short-term exposure to gasoline. Hypnea musciformis was cultivated without gasoline and then exposed to various concentrations of it (0.001 % - 1.0 %, v/v) for periods of 30 min, 1 h, 12 h and 24 h. A Pricncipal Compound Analysis of UV-vis spectral window (200-700 nm) was able to discriminate gasoline-exposed samples according to both exposure time and gasoline concentration. Changes in carotenoid profile composition were observed. Decreased carotenoid content was associated to gasoline exposure time, being lutein and trans-β-carotene the major compounds found. Higher gasoline concentrations negatively interfered with phenolic compounds accumulation. In addition, increased gasoline concentrations corresponded to decreased intracellular starch grains content as well as increased its deposition on cell wall external surface. Data obtained allow us to conclude that gasoline can damage Hypnea musciformis physiology and cell morphology. This is important, considering Hypnea musciformis carotenoids and phenolics are potential biomarkers of environmental stress investigated, as well as its increased cell wall thickness to avoid gasoline diffusion.
Highlights
Increase in human population and industrial development have led to an increase in contaminants in aquatic systems, which is causing a large impact in marine environments and benthic organisms such as seaweeds (Ballesteros et al 2007; Orfanidis et al 2007; Juanes et al.2008; Bahartan et al 2010; Littler et al 2010; Martins et al 2012)
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra from control and gasoline treatments look very similar and this fact turns any discrimination analysis based on chemical traits into a hard task
A feeble discrimination of samples could be observed by plotting principal component analysis (PCA) as a function of gasoline concentration or exposure time for lipids, proteins, and the carbohydrates region (Figs. 2B-D, 3B-D)
Summary
Increase in human population and industrial development have led to an increase in contaminants in aquatic systems, which is causing a large impact in marine environments and benthic organisms such as seaweeds (Ballesteros et al 2007; Orfanidis et al 2007; Juanes et al.2008; Bahartan et al 2010; Littler et al 2010; Martins et al 2012). Some authors have been using seaweeds as both biomarkers and/or bioindicators for pollution, considering its tolerance or sensitivity to different pollutants (Castilla 1996; Vasquez & Guerra 1996; Owen et al 2012; Anusha et al 2017; Farias et al 2018). They have been used as bioindicators of organic micropollutants, as polycyclic. Previous studies supported importance of gasoline environmental impact, a petroleum derivative (Paixao et al 2007; Torres et al 2008)
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