Inflammation assessment and therapeutic monitoring based on highly sensitive and multi-level electrochemical detection of PGE2.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), an eicosane, regulates the physiological activity of inflammatory cells and represents a potential therapeutic target for facilitating tissue repair in vivo. In our work, an electrochemical immunosensor employing Ketjen black-Au nanoparticles (KB-Au) and poly tannic acid nanospheres conjugated with anti-PGE2 polyclonal antibody (PTAN-Ab) was designed to ultra-sensitively analyze PGE2 levels secreted by living cells and tissues. Antibody assembly strategies were explored to achieve signal amplification. Moreover, we studied the therapy effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (AA), hyaluronic acid (HA), and small molecule 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase inhibitor (SW033291) on inflammation and evaluated the protective functions of HA and SW033291 in a murine model subjected to colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) using the developed sensor. The sensor exhibited a linear range of 10-5-106 fg/mL and a detection limit (LOD) of 10-5 fg/mL. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) samples were used to achieve high recovery of target analytes. This study not only presents an effective strategy for ultra-sensitively monitoring PGE2 but also provides valuable insights into assessing the degree of inflammation and the therapeutic effect of related drugs. Research on human health monitoring and regenerative medicine could greatly benefit from the findings.

Life cycle assessment of a novel tannin-boron association for wood protection.

In these studies of fix boron compounds, associations between tannins and boron (TB) in the form of boric acid appear to be of interest. These TB associations allow the use of boron at very low levels (in compliance with EU restrictions, 2008/58/EC) and limit boron leaching which maintains biological resistance and fire retardant properties. As a consequence, TB wooden products present an extended service life compared to boron compounds alone and were designed to be environmentally-friendly wood protection systems. A follow-up of tannin­boron use identified the environmental impacts using a life cycle assessment (LCA). This LCA was performed on tannin­boron preservative products as well as several industrial preservative-treated timbers and concrete used in the landscape. Cr-containing inorganic salt and an alkaline copper quaternary preservative formulation, as well as concrete, have been used as referential materials to compare the environmental footprint with the tannin­boron treated system. A model was created with life cycle stages used to calculate inputs and outputs during raw material extraction, supplier transportation, manufacturing process, distribution, disposal transportation and processing. Tannin production data were based on Vieira et al. in the field of condensed tannin extraction. However, the extracted tannin in the extraction yield, the inorganic salt, and the process applied are not perfectly comparable with the extraction conditions industrially applied for the Mimosa (Acacia mearnsii) extract which is the major constituent of the TB formulations. The latter is counter-current water extracted without any chemicals or with a limited amount of NaHSO3 or Na2SO3 (at 0.5 % to 1 %) - at a temperature of 70-90 °C. Unfortunately these parameters cannot be elaborated by the LCA program because there is no data available for the production of Na bisulphite or Na bicarbonate in the LCI data used. Other input data were sourced from the ecoinvent v3.8 database. The ReCiPe midpoint method was used to assess the environmental footprint and the CED method was chosen to analyze a general view of the energy-related environmental impacts in the life cycle. Overall, the results demonstrated that tannin­boron preservatives can be regarded as a low-environmental impact formulation. Additionally, an economic analysis of the development of a commercially-viable tannin­boron preservative would now be timely.

Assessment of Chemopreventive Potential of the Plant Extracts against Liver Cancer Using HepG2 Cell Line.

The edible parts of the plants Camellia sinensis, Vitis vinifera and Withania somnifera were extensively used in ancient practices such as Ayurveda, owing to their potent biomedical significance. They are very rich in secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, which are very good antioxidants and exhibit anti-carcinogenic properties. This study aims to evaluate the anti-cancerous properties of these plant crude extracts on human liver cancer HepG2 cells. The leaves of Camellia sinensis, Withania somnifera and the seeds of Vitis vinifera were collected and methanolic extracts were prepared. Then, these extracts were subjected to DPPH, α- amylase assays to determine the antioxidant properties. A MTT assay was performed to investigate the viability of the extracts of HepG2 cells, and the mode of cell death was detected by Ao/EtBr staining and flow cytometry with PI Annexin- V FITC dual staining. Then, the protein expression of BAX and BCl2 was studied using fluorescent dye to determine the regulation of the BAX and BCl2 genes. We observed that all the three extracts showed the presence of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols or phytochemicals. The W. somnifera bioactive compounds were found to have the highest anti-proliferative activity on human liver cancer cells.

Metal-phenolic network coated cellulose foams for solar-driven clean water production.

Solar-driven water steam generation is a promising strategy for seawater desalination and wastewater purification. However, oil contaminants commonly exist in real water resources, which drives us to design and fabricate photothermal materials with high efficient water steam generation and outstanding anti-oil-fouling ability. Herein, we developed a metal-phenolic network-coated cellulose foam (Fe3+/TA@CF), which exhibits not only superb hydrophilicity and underwater lipophobicity, but also achieves high water evaporation rate of ∼1.3 kg m-2 h-1 even in oil-polluted seawater under one sun illumination. In addition, Fe3+/TA@CF is demonstrated to be both anti-oil-fouling and anti-salt-fouling, which benefits to long-term evaporation in practical utilizations. Metal ions and oil contaminants in the condensed water vapor are almost eliminated after purification. We believe that this low-cost, biodegradable Fe3+/TA@CF paves a way for rationally designing and fabricating high-performance evaporator for oil contaminated water purification.

Assessment of a Fenton reaction driven by insoluble tannins from pine bark in treating an emergent contaminant.

Iron ligands as 1,2-dihydroxybenzenes (1,2-DHBs) have been used to increase the oxidizing ability of Fenton systems. However, these kinds of ligands become toxic quinones in the process creating an environmental problem since these compounds cannot be easily separated from a solution. To avoid this problem, in the present work, water-insoluble tannins, obtained from Pinus radiata bark, were used as a source of 1,2-DHBs to promote the oxidizing ability of the Fenton process. The developed system was tested using atrazine, as a substrate, which is a toxic and recalcitrant compound, present in different sources of water. The best reaction conditions established by the experimental design were as follows: pH of 3.6; 2.4 mmol L-1 of H2O2; 150 µmol L-1 of Fe(III); and 800 mg L-1 of tannins. A significant increase in the efficiency of the degradation of atrazine by the heterogeneous Fenton process was observed under these conditions. The repetitive use of the insoluble tannins for Fenton-like processes showed a similar oxidizing ability and did not produce the lixiviation of phenols or other aromatic compounds. Together, the results showed that insoluble tannins could be used safely at least five times to promote the reactivity of Fenton systems.

Comparison of polyethylene glycol and wood ash extract on feeding value and economic efficiency of mixes of high-tannin feed sources in growing Ethiopian Bonga lambs.

Dietary inclusion of tannin-deactivating agents such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and wood ash can enhance the feeding value of tannin-containing feeds. To evaluate this, 24 intact male Bonga lambs were divided into three blocks of eight animals per block based on their initial body weight in randomized complete block design with three treatments, 30 days adaptation and 10 days of data collection. The dietary treatments consisted of T1 (= hay 40% + concentrate 5% + Albizia gummifera 30% + Rhus glutinosa 10% + Syzygium guineense 15%), T2 (= T1 + wood ash), and T3 (=T1 + PEG6000). Animals were individually fed at 50 g DM/kg BW and had free access to clean drinking water and mineralized salt licks. Nutrient intake, digestibility, nutrient conversion ratio, and live body weight gains were determined. The condensed tannin concentration in tannin-rich trees and shrubs (TRTS) mix was 140 g DM/kg, respectively. The highest improvement in nutrient intake and apparent digestibility was recorded in T3 compared to other treatments (P < 0.01). The total return (TR) Ethiopian birr/currency (ETB)/sheep was 478 ETB, 554 ETB, and 569.6 ETB for T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Accordingly, the addition of PEG and wood as a tannin-binder improved digestion and performance in sheep, but with the highest effect size was recorded for PEG.

Age of Haemonchus contortus third stage infective larvae is a factor influencing the in vitro assessment of anthelmintic properties of tannin containing plant extracts.

The larval exsheathment inhibition assay (LEIA) of infective larvae (L3) is an in vitro method used to evaluate the anthelmintic (AH) activity of tannin-containing plant extracts against different species of gastrointestinal nematodes, including Haemonchus contortus. Some conditions remain to be defined in order to standardize the LEIA, i.e. the optimal age of larvae produced from donor animals to use in the assays. Therefore, this study aimed at identifying the effect of age and age-related vitality of H. contortus infective larvae produced under tropical conditions, on the in vitro AH activity measured with the LEIA. The same acetone:water (70:30) extract from Acacia pennatula leaves was used to perform respective LEIA tests with H. contortus L3 of different ages (1-7 weeks). Each week, the L3 were tested against different concentrations of extract (1200, 600, 400, 200, 100, 40µg/mL of extract) plus a PBS control. Bioassays were performed with a benzimidazole (Bz) resistant H. contortus (Paraíso) strain. In order to identify changes in L3 vitality on different weeks (1-7), two assays testing larval motility were included only with PBS: the larval migration assay (LMA) and the larval motility observation assay (LMOA). Mean effective concentrations causing 50% and 90% exsheathment inhibition (EC50, EC90) were obtained for every week using respective Probit analyses. On the first week, the larvae had lowest EC50 and EC90 (39.4 and 65.6µg/mL) compared to older larvae (P<0.05). The EC50 and EC90 for weeks 2-5 were similar (P>0.05), while older larvae tended to show higher EC50 and EC90 (P<0.05). Motility showed strong negative correlations with age of larvae (r≥-0.83; P <0.05) and EC50 (r≥-0.80; P<0.05), suggesting that the lower extract efficacy could be associated with decaying vitality of larvae associated with age. More stable efficacy results were found between two to five weeks of age.

Characterization and cellular studies of molecular nanoparticle of iron (III)-tannic complexes; toward a low cost magnetic resonance imaging agent.

Herein, a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent based on molecular nanoparticles of iron(III)-tannic complexes (Fe-TA NPs) is reported. The paramagnetic and molecularlike Fe-TA NPs were successfully synthesized at room temperature within a few minutes without the use of any toxic agents or expensive equipment. The coordination states of the Fe-TA NPs were pH-dependent. The r1 relaxivity values of the bis-dominated and tris-dominated structures of the Fe-TA NPs were determined to be 6.31 and 5.24 mM-1 s-1, respectively, by using a Philips Achieva 1.5T MRI scanner. The Fe-TA NPs were 177 ± 12 nm in diameter (hydrodynamic size) with a zeta potential value of -28 ± 0.9 mV, dispersing very well in aqueous solution and were highly stable in phosphate buffered saline buffer (pH 7.4) containing competitive ligands and metals. From in vitro studies, it was evident that the Fe-TA NPs exhibited good biocompatibility, with high cellular uptake in HepG2 cells. Clearly, the Fe-TA NPs were found to induce signal enhancement in the T1-weighted image of the HepG2 cells. As a result, it can be stated that the Fe-TA NPs may have the potential for being developed as low-cost and clinically translatable magnetic resonance imaging agents in the near future.

A tannin-based agent for coagulation and flocculation of municipal wastewater: Chemical composition, performance assessment compared to Polyaluminum chloride, and application in a pilot plant.

Chemical composition and flocculation efficiency were investigated for a commercially produced tannin - based coagulant and flocculant (Tanfloc). The results of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed what claimed about the chemical composition of Tanfloc. For moderate polluted municipal wastewater investigated in both jar test and pilot plant, Tanfloc showed high turbidity removal efficiency of approximately 90%, while removal efficiencies of BOD5 and COD were around 60%. According to floc size distribution, Tanfloc was able to show distinct performance compared to Polyaluminum chloride (PAC). While 90% of flocs produced by Tanfloc were smaller than 144 micron, they were smaller than 96 micron for PAC. Practically, zeta potential measurement showed the cationic nature of Tanfloc and suggested coincidence of charge neutralization and another flocculation mechanism (bridging or patch flocculation). Sludge Volumetric Index (SVI) measurements were in agreement with the numbers found in the literature, and they were less than 160 mL/g. Calcium cation as flocculation aid showed significant improvement of flocculation efficiency compared to other cations. Finally Tanfloc showed competing performance compared to PAC in terms of turbidity, BOD5 and COD removal, floc size and sludge characteristics.

Tannin profile of different Monastrell wines and its relation to projected market prices.

This study focuses on the differences or similarities in tannin composition and concentration in Monastrell wines from different wineries from the same geographic area and, within each winery, from wines elaborated based on different projected market prices, to determine whether there is any relationship between the wine tannin composition and the projected price. The tannin composition of the different wines, all of them analyzed at the same point during winemaking, indicated that those elaborated as premium wines presented higher phenol and tannin contents. The mean degree of polymerization of these wines was also positively related with the projected price, which agreed with the results obtained by size exclusion chromatography, that showed that wines with high projected prices had a higher proportion of polymeric tannins, suggesting that techniques favoring the extraction of skin tannins were mostly used in those wines projected as premium wines, probably looking for greater mouthfeel complexity.

Kinetics of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of Zea mays Linnaeus (Poaceae), Stigma maydis aqueous extract: An in vitro assessment.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Corn silk (Zea mays L., Stigma maydis) is an important herb used traditionally in many parts of the world to treat array of diseases including diabetes mellitus. Inhibitors of α-amylase and α-glucosidase offer an effective strategy to modulate levels of post prandial hyperglycaemia via control of starch metabolism. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study evaluated α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory potentials of corn silk aqueous extract. Active principles and antioxidant attributes of the extract were also analysed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The α-amylase inhibitory potential of the extract was investigated by reacting its different concentrations with α-amylase and starch solution, while α-glucosidase inhibition was determined by pre-incubating α-glucosidase with different concentrations of the extract followed by addition of p-nitrophenylglucopyranoside. The mode(s) of inhibition of the enzymes were determined using Lineweaver-Burke plot. RESULTS: In vitro analysis of the extract showed that it exhibited potent and moderate inhibitory potential against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. The inhibition was concentration-dependent with respective half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 5.89 and 0.93mg/mL. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, tannins and phytosterols as probable inhibitory constituents. Furthermore, the extract remarkably scavenges reactive oxygen species like DPPH and nitric oxide radicals, elicited good reducing power and a significant metal chelating attributes. CONCLUSION: Overall, the non-competitive and uncompetitive mechanism of action of corn silk extract is due to its inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. Consequently, this will reduce the rate of starch hydrolysis, enhance palliated glucose levels, and thus, lending credence to hypoglycaemic candidature of corn silk.

Titrating the Cost of Plant Toxins Against Predators: a Case Study with Common Duikers, Sylvicapra grimmia.

Foragers face many variables that influence their food intake. These may include habitat structure, time, climate, resource characteristic, food quality, and plant defenses. I conducted foraging experiments using common duikers that involved: 1) testing the effect of plant toxins on foraging, and 2) titrating toxin intake against safety. I used giving up densities (GUDs, food remaining after foraging) to test for selection among trays containing alfalfa pellets treated with water, with 10% oxalic acid, or 10% quebracho tannin. Pairs of trays were placed within islands of woody vegetation and out in open grass. I also conducted a titration experiment by offering the duikers a choice between a patch with water-treated pellets placed at a risky site, or a patch with one of three oxalic acid-treated pellets at a safe site. This made it possible to determine the concentration of oxalic acid at which the cost of toxin in the safe site equals the predation cost at the risky site. The common duikers showed no selectivity among the three treatments at 10% concentration, however, GUDs in the open grass (i.e., safe) were significantly lower than in the wooded islands (i.e., risky). As the oxalic acid concentration increased at the safe sites, the duiker's food intake from the risky sites increased significantly. The results demonstrate that foraging hazards may come in different forms such as predation and plant toxins, and their interactions may alter habitat use, foraging patterns, and perceptions of risk. These variables occur under natural situations, altering the overall habitat quality.

Biosorption of palladium(II) from aqueous solution by grafting chitosan on persimmon tannin extract.

A low-cost and environmentally green biosorbent (PTCS) was prepared by grafting chitosan onto persimmon tannin extract and its potentiality for efficient adsorption of palladium ion (Pd(II)) from aqueous solution was evaluated. Various adsorption parameters such as pH, the initial Pd(II) concentration and temperature were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 330mg/g at 323K and pH 5.0 when the initial Pd(II) concentration was 100mg/L. The equilibrium adsorption data were satisfactorily fitted with Freundlich isotherm model and biosorption kinetics was found to be in good agreement with pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Thermodynamic calculations indicated that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous in nature because of the negative value of free energy change (ΔG) and positive value of enthalpy change (ΔH). The positive value of entropy change (ΔS) revealed the increased randomness at the solid-liquid interface. FT-IR and XRD analysis verified that Pd(II) adsorption on PTCS was electrostatic interaction and redox reaction. Moreover, selective adsorption study revealed that the adsorbent exhibited good adsorption ability to Pd(II) in the mixture metal ions solutions. All these results indicated that the PTCS biosorbent could be used as a low-cost alternative for the adsorption of Pd(II) in waste-water treatment.

Assessment of a tannin-based organic polymer to harvest Chlorella vulgaris biomass from swine wastewater digestate phycoremediation.

This study investigated the efficiency of an organic tannin polymer alone or amended with polyacrylamide to harvest Chlorella vulgaris biomass grown in a laboratory-scale photobioreactor treating swine wastewater digestate. The effect of biomass concentration, tannin (TAN) dosages and changes in pH were evaluated in jar test experiments. Among the TAN concentrations tested (11, 22, 44, 89, 178 mg L(-1)), 11 mg L(-1) showed the highest biomass recovery (97%). The highest coagulation/ flocculation efficiencies were obtained at pH 5 to 7. Flocculation efficiency improved from 50 to 97% concomitant with the increasing biomass concentrations from 45 to 165 mg L(-1), respectively. Recovery efficiencies above 95% were achieved with the same TAN dosage (11 mg L(-1)) irrespective of the concentration of organic carbon present (75 to 300 mg TOC L(-1)). Overall, the results suggest that TAN could become an interesting alternative choice of non-toxic organic polymer for harvesting Chlorella sp. from organic-rich wastewater.

Assessment of instream foam formation and quantification of foam in effluents.

Although the foam formation on surface waters nowadays is not comparable with the foam "mountains" in the 1970s, it still is an issue of water quality concern. A drawback in the discussion is the lack of methods to assess instream foam formation and foam emitted by point sources. Foam formation on a transboundary river in Austria led to an intensive study resulting in two parameters to quantify instream and emitted foam. Foam potential is introduced as emission parameter that is defined as flow rate of river water, which can foam due to an effluent's discharge. The foam index (FI) represents a parameter to assess the foam on the river and allows a semi-quantitative differentiation between the varying foaming conditions. This publication will present the developed methods and show some results to prove their accuracy and applicability.

Assessment of in vitro cellular responses of monocytes and keratinocytes to tannic acid modified silver nanoparticles.

Hydrolyzable tannins are known to exhibit diverse biological effects, which can be used in combination with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In this study, we tested toxic and inflammatory properties of tannic-acid modified 13, 33, 46 nm and unmodified 10-65 nm AgNPs using murine 291.03C keratinocyte and RAW 264.7 monocyte cell lines. Both cell lines exposed for 24h to 1-10 µg/ml of 13 nm, 33 nm, 46 nm and unmodified AgNPs showed dose-dependent toxicity and decreased cell proliferation. Only small-sized AgNPs induced production of ROS by monocytes, but not keratinocytes. Monocytes internalized large aggregates of 33, 46 nm and 10-65 nm AgNPs in cytoplasmic vacuoles, whereas keratinocytes accumulated less particles. AgNPs of 13 nm were localized ubiquitously within both cell types. The tested AgNPs strongly down-regulated production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by monocytes, whereas keratinocytes exposed to AgNPs showed an opposite effect. Unmodified but not tannic acid-modified AgNPs increased production of the pro-inflammatory MCP-1 by monocytes and keratinocytes. In summary, low inflammatory potential and lack of ROS production by tannic-acid modified AgNPs sized above 30 nm suggests that tannic acid modification of large silver nanoparticles may help to increase AgNPs biosafety.

Synthesis of monodispersed palladium nanoparticles using tannic acid and its optical non-linearity.

Palladium nanoparticles with average size 11.3 nm have been synthesized via a one-step reduction and capping method. This colloidal route using tannic acid does not require any other surfactant or capping agent to direct the growth of palladium nanoparticles. The effect of temperature on the conversion of Pd(2+) ion to Pd(0) is investigated. The growth process of nanoparticles is monitored using UV-visible spectra. The morphology and phase transformation have been confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. An attempt to reveal the capping mechanism of tannic acid is done through FTIR analysis. The optical non-linearity of the samples was studied using open aperture Z-scan technique. The significance of this protocol for the generation of environmentally benign palladium nanoparticles lies mainly in its simplicity and cost effectiveness.

Reutilization of mango byproducts: study of the effect of extraction solvent and temperature on their antioxidant properties.

UNLABELLED: Mango biowastes, obtained after processing, contain large amounts of compounds with antioxidant activity that can be reused to reduce their environmental impact. The present study evaluates the effect of solvent (methanol, ethanol, acetone, water, methanol:water [1:1], ethanol:water [1:1], and acetone:water [1:1]), and temperature (25, 50, and 75 °C) on the efficiency of the extraction of antioxidants from mango peel and seed. Among the factors optimized, extraction solvent was the most important. The solvents that best obtained extracts with high antioxidant capacity were methanol, methanol:water, ethanol:water, and acetone:water (ß-carotene test, antioxidant activity coefficient 173 to 926; thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test, inhibition ratio 15% to 89%; 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid ABTS(·+); and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl DPPH· scavenging, 7 to 22 and 8 to 28 g trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity [TE] per 100 g mango biowaste on a dry matter basis [DW]). Similarly, the flavonoid (0.21 to 1.4 g (+)-catechin equivalents per 100 g DW), tannin (3.8 to 14 g tannic acid equivalents per 100 g DW), and proanthocyanidin (0.23 to 7.8 g leucoanthocyanidin equivalents per 100 g DW) content was highest in the peel extracts obtained with methanol, ethanol:water, or acetone:water and in the seed extracts obtained with methanol or acetone:water. From the perspective of food security, it is advisable to choose ethanol (which also has a notable antioxidant content), ethanol:water, or acetone:water, as they are all solvents that can be used in compliance with good manufacturing practice. In general, increasing temperature improves the capacity of the extracts obtained from mango peel and seed to inhibit lipid peroxidation; however, its effect on the extraction of phytochemical compounds or on the capacity of the extracts to scavenge free radicals was negligible in comparison to that of the solvent. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There are many antioxidant compounds in mango peel and seed, and they could be used as a natural and very inexpensive alternative to synthetic food additives. However, the conditions in which the antioxidants are extracted must be optimized. This work proves that conditions such as extraction solvent or temperature have a crucial impact on obtaining extracts rich in antioxidants from mango biowastes.

Relationship between red wine grade and phenolics. 2. Tannin composition and size.

Commercial red wines ( Vitis vinifera L. cv. Shiraz) produced during the 2009 vintage underwent winemaker assessment for allocation grade soon after production. The wines were then subjected to phenolic analysis to measure wine color (total anthocyanin, SO(2) nonbleachable pigment, and wine color density) and tannins (concentration, composition, and average degree of polymerization). A positive relationship was found between wine phenolic concentration and projected bottle price. Tannin compositional analysis suggested that there was specifically a relationship between wine grade and skin-derived tannins. These results suggest that maximization of skin tannin concentration and/or proportion is related to an increase in projected wine bottle price.

Impacts of ambient salinity and copper on brown algae: 2. Interactive effects on phenolic pool and assessment of metal binding capacity of phlorotannin.

The aim of this study was to establish in laboratory experiments a quantitative link between phenolic pool (production, composition and exudation) in Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus and their potential to bind metals. Additionally, the copper binding capacity of purified phlorotannin was investigated. A reduction in salinity decreased total phenolic contents, altered phenolic composition by increasing proportion of cell-wall phenolics, and also increased phenolic exudation of the two seaweed species. After 15 days at a salinity of 5, the inhibition of photosynthesis observed previously for A. nodosum coincided with the high exudation of phenolic compounds into the surrounding water of the seaweed tips which resulted in a significant reduction of phenolic contents. Increased copper concentration also reduced total phenolic contents, changed phenolic composition (increase in proportion and level of cell-wall phenolics), and positively affected phenolic exudation of A. nodosum and F. vesiculosus. A decrease in salinity enhanced the copper toxicity and caused the earlier impact on the physiology of seaweed tips. An involvement of phlorotannins in copper binding is also demonstrated; purified phlorotannins from A. nodosum collected from a site with little anthropogenic activity contained all four metals tested. When placed in copper-enriched water, as for the seaweed material, copper contents of the phenolics increased, zinc and cadmium contents decreased, but no change in chromium content was observed. The use of cell-wall phenolic content as biomarker of copper contamination seems promising but needs further investigation.