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Effects of environmental constraints on the oxidative status of Ascophylum nodosum and Fucus serratus

Cristiano Soares1, 2*, Ana Catarina Torres1, 3, 4, Puri Veiga1, 3, 4, Marcos Rubal1, 3, 4 and Fernanda Fidalgo1, 2
  • 1 Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Biologia, Portugal
  • 2 Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, GreenUPorto - Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Center, Departamento de Biologia, Portugal
  • 3 Centro Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa Marine e Ambiental (CIIMAR), Laboratório de Biodiversidade Costeira, Portugal
  • 4 Centro Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa Marine e Ambiental (CIIMAR), Laboratório de Biodiversidade Costeira, Portugal

Being organisms of the intertidal, several species of macroalgae are periodically exposed to different environment constraints, including extreme temperatures, high UV radiation and desiccation. As a consequence of these fluctuations, the normal metabolism of the cells can be disrupted, favoring the occurrence of oxidative stress, by an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, up to date, little is acknowledged regarding the physiological responses of macroalgae to environmental factors and their contribution to the vertical distribution of the species. In this way, the present study intends to understand the effects of environmental factors (UV radiation, dissection, and high temperatures) on the physiological performance of two macroalgae species found in the North coast of Portugal: Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus serratus. For this purpose, samples of each macroalgae were randomly collected at both high and low tide in a rocky shore, immediately frozen under liquid N2, and used for the assessment of several biomarkers of oxidative stress: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lipid peroxidation, total thiols and the accumulation of proline. Results showed that both H2O2 and lipid peroxidation contents were species-dependent, but did not change between tides, while proline accumulation was dependent of both factors. Regarding total thiols content, no significant changes were recorded. Moreover, it was noticed that F. serratus had consistently higher levels of all studied parameters compared to A. nosodum, suggesting the existence of different threshold levels for environmental agents. Altogether, our results suggested that A. nosodum and F. serratus differently cope with environmental constraints, though further research is needed to adequately address this question.

Keywords: macroalgae, Intertidal zone, Oxidative Stress, environmental constraints (EC), Reactive Oxygen Species

Conference: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018, Peniche, Portugal, 5 Jul - 6 Jul, 2018.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Topic: Biodiversity, Conservation and Coastal Management

Citation: Soares C, Torres A, Veiga P, Rubal M and Fidalgo F (2019). Effects of environmental constraints on the oxidative status of Ascophylum nodosum and Fucus serratus. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR'18 | International Meeting on Marine Research 2018. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2018.06.00048

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Received: 30 May 2018; Published Online: 07 Jan 2019.

* Correspondence: Dr. Cristiano Soares, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Biologia, Porto, Portugal, cristiano.soares@fc.up.pt