Are tolerance processes limiting the responses of Hediste diversicolor to cadmium exposure? A multimarker approach.

Cadmium (Cd) is considered a priority hazardous substance under the European Community Directive 2013/39 due to its ecotoxicity. The ragworm Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776), a common species in estuaries and coastal lagoons, plays an important ecological role in these ecosystems and is a suitable bioindicator of environmental chemical contamination. In this study, H. diversicolor was chosen as an ecotoxicological model with the aim of evaluating the responses to Cd contamination, considering a multi-biomarker approach (mortality, biometry, behaviour, Cd bioaccumulation, oxidative stress and damage, and energy metabolism). Also, the hypothesis of different tolerances resulting in different responses was evaluated, by collecting worms from three systems distinctly impacted by metal contamination (Mondego estuary, Óbidos Lagoon and Sado estuary - Portugal). Animals were exposed under laboratory conditions to cadmium (10, 50 and 100 µg/L), for 10 days. Significant differences were observed in responses amongst worms originating from the different sites. Organisms from the less impacted systems revealed greater effects on mortality, biomass decrease and burrowing behaviour, as well as higher bioaccumulation potential, after exposure to Cd. Biochemical and behaviour impairments were observed as a consequence of Cd exposure, although not in a concentration-dependant manner. The results obtained in this study reinforce the importance of integrating endpoint responses, at the individual and sub-individual levels, to assess potential changes induced by pollutants in the physiological status and fitness of H. diversicolor and help to predict what their ecological consequences might be.

Call the Eckols: Present and Future Potential Cancer Therapies.

In recent years, an increased interest in marine macroalgae bioactive compounds has been recorded due to their benefits to human health and welfare. Several of their bioactivities have been demonstrated, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial and antiviral behavior. However, there still lacks a clear definition regarding how these compounds exert their bioactive properties. Of all the bioactive compounds derived from marine macroalgae, attention has been focused on phenolic compounds, specifically in phlorotannins, due to their potential for biomedical applications. Phlorotannins are a diverse and wide group of phenolic compounds, with several structural variations based on the monomer phloroglucinol. Among the diverse phlorotannin structures, the eckol-family of phlorotannins demonstrates remarkable bioactivity, notably their anti-tumoral properties. However, the molecular mechanisms by which this activity is achieved remain elusive and sparse. This review focuses on the described molecular mechanisms of anti-tumoral effects by the eckol family of compounds and the future prospects of these molecules for potential application in oncology therapies.

Copper sulphate impact on the antioxidant defence system of the marine bivalves Cerastoderma edule and Scrobicularia plana.

Anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture and industrial activities, are a main source of pollution contributing for the degradation of water quality and thus affecting the living organisms of aquatic systems. Copper is widely used at these practices being often released into the aquatic systems and may cause negative effects in its communities. This study proposes to determine the effects of copper in the antioxidant defence system of two size classes (big and small sizes) of Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule, two marine bivalve species with commercial interest. It was observed the behaviour activity of the organisms during the exposure to copper sulphate (CS) and was determined the enzymatic activities of glutathione-S-transferases (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (both selenium-dependent (SeGPx) and total (tGPx)) in the muscle tissue (foot). Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was evaluated through thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) measurement in the foot. Changes in the behaviour and enzymatic activity were observed. Lipid peroxidation was observed at C. edule and S. plana big and small size classes, respectively, according to TBARS levels. The foot showed to be a good tissue to be used in biochemical analysis to detect the presence of toxicants.

Degradability and sediment sorption of an alcohol polyglycol ether surfactant putatively useful for the control of red swamp crayfish in rice fields.

This work reports studies of the degradation rates of a fatty alcohol polyglycol ether non-ionic surfactant, Genapol OXD-080, putatively useful for the control of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii Girard) in rice fields under laboratory and field conditions. The influence of temperature, sediment site specificity and sorption were taken into account. The degradation kinetics of the surfactant depends on the experimental conditions: type of inocula and temperature. The distribution of this chemical in aquatic systems was also examined. Genapol OXD-080 was removed into the sediments readily after application, and sorption was considered the major path of removal from the water phase. Data suggest that further studies are required regarding the effects of Genapol OXD-080 in aquatic organisms resident in rice fields, in parallel with the development of technologies related with the use of surfactants to control P. clarkii populations.