Autor(es): Jorge Teixeira ; Pedro Ferraz ; Carlota Gouveia ; Frederico Azevedo ; Simão Neves ; Fernanda Fidalgo ; Adrián M. T. Silva
Data: 2015
Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/106539
Origem: Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
Assunto(s): Medicina básica; Basic medicine
Several physiological, biochemical and molecular biology responses were analysed in Solanum nigrum L. plants exposed for 28 days to an effluent that resulted from the photo-Fenton treatment of a highly concentrated pesticide and systemic fungicide aqueous solution, containing metalaxyl as active compound (150 mg L-1), in order to pinpoint metabolic steps for a future increase of these plants' capacity to deal with the chemical process by-products. Although plants suffered oxidative stress, as indicated by increased membrane damage and a negative effect on plant biomass, they absorbed the excess iron and acted on the resulting by-products present in the effluent after the photo-Fenton process. Nitrogen assimilation and metallothionein gene expression were down regulated, while glutathione biosynthesis increased. These results suggest an enhanced nitrogen assimilation and/or metallothionein accumulation as relevant key points for further plant improvement in order to increase the efficiency of this innovative strategy that considers integration of the photo-Fenton process (as chemical primary treatment) with S. nigrum L plants (as biological remediation post-treatment) for heavily polluted wastewaters.
