Allelopathy Journal

  • Year: 2007
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue: 2

Influence of aquatic liverwort Riccia fluitans L. on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa Kütz. and the biotransformation of microcystin-LR

  • Author:
  • D. Dziga1,, M. Kochanowska1, J. Bialczyk1, Z. Lechowski1,2
  • Total Page Count: 10
  • DOI:
  • Page Number: 431 to 440

1Department of Plant Physiology and Development, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30–387 Krakow, Poland.

2Department of Plant Physiology, Swietokrzyska Academy, Swietokrzyska 15, 24–406 Kielce, Poland.

Abstract

We investigated the activity of liverwort Riccia fluitans against the toxic cyanobacteria strain Microcystis aeruginosa. The incubation of homogenized tissues of R. fluitans inhibited the growth of M. aeruginosa. This inhibition was associated with decrease in the microcystin-LR concentration in the environment. These results suggest that biotransformation of this hepatotoxin in the presence of R. fluitans may occur. Furthermore, the mechanism of growth inhibition was studied. We showed that the activity of phenols produced by R. fluitans could be associated with the influence of both the photosynthetic system and the activity of the extracellular enzyme - alkaline phosphatase.

Keywords

Cyanobacterial toxins, growth inhibition, microcystin, Microcystis aeruginosa, phenols, Riccia fluitans