Effects of Algicidal Macrophyte Metabolites on Cyanobacteria, Microcystins, Other Plankton, and Fish in Microcosms.

To control harmful algae blooms (HABs), methods based on natural mechanisms are now required. We investigated the effects of an algicide derived from macrophyte metabolites, namely mixtures of gallic, tetradecanoic, heptanoic, and octanoic acids (1:1:1:1 mass ratio, a total concentration of 14 mg/L), on the biomass of cyanobacteria and other plankton and the production of microcystins under experimental conditions. Two types of microcosms have been created: simple (microalgae, cyanobacteria, and zooplankton) and complex (microalgae, cyanobacteria, zooplankton, and planktivorous fish). We observed the dynamics of the phytoplankton structure, the concentrations of microcystins and chlorophyll-a, hydrochemistry, and the status of zooplankton and fish in both types of microcosms with and without algicide for one month (from 19 July to 19 August 2021). The introduction of algicide caused changes in phytoplankton structure, a drop in cyanobacterial biomass, and a decrease in the total concentration of microcystins. Surprisingly, the contributions of the most toxic microcystins (LR form) were higher in both types of microcosms exposed to algicide than in microcosms without algicide. The inhibitory effect on the cyanobacterial biomass was most significant in complex ecosystems (containing fish), while it was only observed at the end of the exposure in simple ecosystems. Not only algicide but also phytoplankton consumed by fish and zooplankton, as well as nutrient excretory activity by both consumers, seem to have impact on cyanobacterial biomass. This study found that the using chemical substances similar to macrophyte metabolites can help regulate HABs and cyanotoxins. However, the results differ depending on ecosystem type.

Genotoxicity of Natural Water during the Mass Development of Cyanobacteria Evaluated by the Allium Test Method: A Model Experiment with Microcosms.

Cyanobacteria, which develop abundantly in aquatic ecosystems, can be harmful to humans and animals not only by releasing toxins that cause poisoning but also by provoking cytogenetic effects. The influence of the mass development of cyanobacteria on the genotoxic properties of natural water has been studied in model ecosystems (microcosms) with different compositions of biotic components (zooplankton, amphipods and fish). The validated plant test system "Allium test" was used in this study. Genotoxic effects were detected at microcystin concentrations below those established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. In all experimental treatments, cells with disorders such as polyploidy and mitotic abnormalities associated with damage to the mitotic spindle, including c-mitosis, as well as lagging chromosomes were found. Genotoxic effects were associated with the abundance of cyanobacteria, which, in turn, depended on the composition of aquatic organisms in the experimental ecosystem. Fish, to a greater extent than other aquatic animals, maintain an abundance of cyanobacteria. After one month, in microcosms with fish, mitotic abnormalities and polyploidy continued to be detected, whereas in other treatments, there were no statistically significant genotoxic effects. In microcosms with amphipods, the number and biomass of cyanobacteria decreased to the greatest extent, and only one parameter of genotoxic activity (frequency of polyploidy) significantly differed from the control.

Comparative Study of Quinolines and Tetrahydroquinolines Sorption on Various Sorbents from Water-Acetonitrile Solutions.

The retention of 16 quinoline and tetrahydroquinoline derivatives was investigated under liquid chromatography conditions using porous graphitized carbon (PGC), octadecyl silica (ODS) and hypercrosslinked polystyrene (HCLP) stationary phases. For most of the analytes, retention on PGC was greater than on ODS, while retention on HCLP was even greater than on both ODS and PGC. The non-linearity of retention dependencies on acetonitrile content in the eluent was observed for compounds containing carboxy, hydrazo and methoxy groups. The relationships between quinolines structure and their retention factors were investigated. It was found that sorption on different sorbents correlated with different descriptors. Retention on ODS was found to be highly correlated with lipophilicity only while on HCLP it depended on both lipophilicity and polarizability of the sorbates. The feature of PGC was a good correlation of retention factors with topological and geometrical parameters. Additionally, ability of PGC to form OH…π bonds with hydroxymethylquinolines was found. The observed regularities allow one to rationally optimize the chromatographic analysis of structurally similar compounds, which is very important for bioactive substances.

Quantitative structure-chromatographic retention correlations of quinoline derivatives.

The aim of our study was to investigate relationships between quinoline derivatives structure and their retention under reversed-phase liquid chromatography conditions. Retention factors of quinolines were experimentally measured and various geometrical and physicochemical parameters representing analytes molecular structure were calculated. Equations connecting chromatographic data with computed characteristics for the set of 17 investigated compounds were constructed. It was shown that the most precise dependencies include combination of physico-chemical and geometrical parameters.