[en] Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a hepatotoxic metabolite that naturally occurs during some cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic waterbodies, and irrigation of edible plants with MC-LR-contaminated water causes bioaccumulation of the toxin. However, sufficient information about accumulation and depuration mechanics in hydroculture-grown herb plants is still lacking. This work aimed at 1) investigating bioaccumulation and depuration of MC-LR in basil, 2) verifying the possible MC-LR detoxification mechanisms in the plant, and 3) detecting the natural occurrence of MC-LR in basil (n = 50) collected from the Belgian market. Basil plants grown in a hydroculture were exposed to MC-LR (5, 20, and 50 μg L-1) spiked in a Hoagland solution for seven days. MC-LR depuration was also studied by transferring the plants to a non-contaminated Hoagland solution after exposure to MC-LR for another seven days. MC-LR concentrations in Hoagland solution, basil leaves, and roots were quantified using a validated UHPLC-MS/MS method. In addition, ELISA and LC-HRMS (only basil leaves) were used for confirmation. The results showed an increase in the accumulated levels of MC-LR at higher exposure doses, with higher MC-LR levels in roots than in leaves for all the treatment conditions. For MC-LR depuration, significant reductions were observed in all the treatment conditions for roots only. No MC-LR conjugates, potentially related to metabolism, were detected by LC-HRMS. Finally, MC-LR was detected in one store-bought basil sample, representing the first occurrence of cyanotoxins in an edible crop from Belgium.
Disciplines :
Food science Environmental sciences & ecology
Author, co-author :
Van Hassel, Wannes ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Integrative Biological Sciences (InBioS)
Abdallah, Mohamed F ; Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt
Gracia Guzman Velasquez, Maria; Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium, Sciensano, Chemical and Physical Health Risks, Organic Contaminants and Additives, Leuvensesteenweg 17, Tervuren, 3080, Belgium
Miles, Christopher O ; Biotoxin Metrology, National Research Council Canada, Halifax, NS, B3H 3Z1, Canada, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Postboks 64, 1431, Ås, Norway
H2020 - 965173 - Imptox - AN INNOVATIVE ANALYTICAL PLATFORM TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT AND TOXICITY OF MICRO AND NANO PLASTICS COMBINED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS ON THE RISK OF ALLERGIC DISEASE IN PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL
Funders :
EU - European Union UGent - Ghent University FPS Health Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment
Funding text :
This work received funding from the Cyantir project, funded by the Federal Public Service (Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment), and the EU IMPTOX project (grant agreement No 965173).The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Wannes Hugo R. Van Hassel reports financial support was provided by Federal Public Service Health Food Chain Safety and Environment. Mohamed F. Abdallah reports financial support was provided by Ghent university special research fund. Andreja Rajkovic reports financial support was provided by EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Euratom. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.Wannes Hugo R. Van Hassel received a full PhD scholarship within the Cyantir project. Mohamed F. Abdallah received a postdoctoral mandate from the Ghent University Special Research Fund (BOF), grant number BOF 01P03220. The ULC/BCCM provided the Microcystis ULC642 strain used to produce the MCs mixture (https://bccm.belspo.be/about-us/bccm-ulc).This work received funding from the Cyantir project, funded by the Federal Public Service (Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment), and the EU IMPTOX project (grant agreement No 965173 ).Wannes Hugo R. Van Hassel received a full PhD scholarship within the Cyantir project. Mohamed F. Abdallah received a postdoctoral mandate from the Ghent University Special Research Fund (BOF) , grant number BOF 01P03220 . The ULC/BCCM provided the Microcystis ULC642 strain used to produce the MCs mixture ( https://bccm.belspo.be/about-us/bccm-ulc ).
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