Nabumetone and flufenamic acid pose a serious risk to aquatic plants: A study with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model organism

The aquatic environment is constantly under threat due to the release of numerous pollutants. Among them, pharmaceuticals constitute a huge and diverse group. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are increasingly found in water bodies, but knowledge about their potential toxicity is still...

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Published in:Chemosphere (Oxford) 2024-02, Vol.349, p.140853-140853, Article 140853
Main Authors: Kapuścińska, Dominika, Narajczyk, Magdalena, Liakh, Ivan, Wielgomas, Bartosz, Aksmann, Anna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll A
Chlorophyta
Flufenamic Acid - toxicity
Microalgae
Nabumetone - pharmacology
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Photosynthesis
Phytotoxicity
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Summary:The aquatic environment is constantly under threat due to the release of numerous pollutants. Among them, pharmaceuticals constitute a huge and diverse group. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are increasingly found in water bodies, but knowledge about their potential toxicity is still low. In particular, there is a lack of information about their influences on aquatic plants and algae. We estimated the susceptibility of the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to nabumetone (NBT) and flufenamic acid (FFA), focusing on photosynthesis. Due to the differences in the structures of these compounds, it was assumed that these drugs would have different toxicities to the tested green algae. The hypothesis was confirmed by determining the effective concentration values, the intensity of photosynthesis, the intensity of dark respiration, the contents of photosynthetic pigments, the fluorescence of chlorophyll a in vivo (OJIP test), and cell ultrastructure analysis. Assessment of the toxicity of the NSAIDs was extended by the calculation of an integrated biomarker response index (IBR), which is a valuable tool in ecotoxicological studies. The obtained results indicate an over six times higher toxicity of NBT compared to FFA. After analysis of the chlorophyll a fluorescence in vivo, it was found that NBT inhibited electron transport beyond the PS II. FFA, unlike NBT, lowered the intensity of photosynthesis, probably transforming some reaction centers into “silent centers”, which dissipate energy as heat. The IBR estimated based on photosynthetic parameters suggests that the toxic effect of FFA results mainly from photosynthesis disruption, whereas NBT significantly affects other cellular processes. No significant alteration in the ultrastructure of treated cells could be seen, except for changes in starch grain number and autophagic vacuoles that appeared in FFA-treated cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work reporting the toxic effects of NBT and FFA on unicellular green algae. [Display omitted] •Nabumetone and flufenamic acid effects on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were evaluated.•Nabumetone was over six times more toxic than flufenamic acid.•Nabumetone inhibits electron transport beyond the PSII.•Flufenamic acid probably transformed some PSII reaction centers into “silent centers".•This is the first report of nabumetone and flufenamic acid toxicity to green algae.
ISSN:0045-6535
1879-1298
DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140853