Loading...
2 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
- Effects of pristine or contaminated polyethylene microplastics on zebrafish developmentPublication . Tarasco, Marco; Gavaia, Paulo; Bensimon-Brito, Anabela; Cordelières, Fabrice P.; Santos, Tamara; Martins, Gil; De Castro, Daniela; Silva, Nadia; Cabrita, Elsa; Bebianno, Maria; Stainier, Didier Y.R.; Cancela, M. Leonor; Laizé, VincentThe presence of microplastics in the aquatic ecosystem represents a major issue for the environment and human health. The capacity of organic pollutants to adsorb onto microplastic particles raises additional concerns, as it creates a new route for toxic compounds to enter the food web. Current knowledge on the impact of pristine and/or contaminated microplastics on aquatic organisms remains insufficient, and we provide here new insights by evaluating their biological effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish larvae were raised in ZEB316 stand-alone housing systems and chronically exposed throughout their development to polyethylene particles of 20-27 mu m, pristine (MP) or spiked with benzo[alpha]pyrene (MP-BaP), supplemented at 1% w/w in the fish diet. While they had no effect at 30 days post-fertilization (dpf), MP and MP-BaP affected growth parameters at 90 and 360 dpf. Relative fecundity, egg morphology, and yolk area were also impaired in zebrafish fed MP-BaP. Zebrafish exposed to experimental diets exhibited an increased incidence of skeletal deformities at 30 dpf as well as an impaired development of caudal fin/scales, and a decreased bone quality at 90 dpf. An intergenerational bone formation impairment was also observed in the offspring of parents exposed to MP or MP-BaP through a reduction of the opercular bone in 6 dpf larvae. Beside a clear effect on bone development, histological analysis of the gut revealed a reduced number of goblet cells in zebrafish fed MP-BaP diet, a sign of intestinal inflam-mation. Finally, exposure of larvae to MP-BaP up-regulated the expression of genes associated with the BaP response pathway, while negatively impacting the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress. Altogether, these data suggest that long-term exposure to pristine/contaminated microplastics not only jeopardizes fish growth, reproduction performance, and skeletal health, but also causes intergenerational effects.
- Comparison of different microalgae biomass typologies used in rotifers enrichment for zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae nutritionPublication . de Castro, Daniela; Castaldi, Matthew; Martins, Gil; Santos, Tamara; Pereira, Hugo; Diogo, Patrícia; Varela, João; Gavaia, Paulo; Shivendra KumarThe use of enriched rotifers with industrially produced microalgae represents a valuable tool for the enhancement of zebrafishlarval nutrition and increased biological performance. Currently, a monoculture of microalgal species (Nannochloropsis sp.) inform of liquid paste is routinely used for rotifers enrichment for zebrafish larvae feeding; however, the most adequate typology (i.e.,paste or freeze-dried) of the industrially produced microalgal biomass is still controversial. This work aimed to compare the effectsof rotifers enriched with three different industrially produced microalgae species (i.e., Nannochloropsis oceanica, Tetraselmis chui,and Tisochrysis lutea) using paste and freeze-dried powder. Enriched rotifers were provided as feed during larval growth and theimpact on growth and survival was evaluated. The use of enriched rotifers with both paste or freeze-dried microalgae improvedgrowth compared to larvae fed exclusively with commercial microdiet. Larvae fed rotifers enriched with N. oceanica and T. chuiattained higher weight and length both at 15 and 30 days postfertilization (dpf ), while the use of microalgae in paste contributed togreater larvae lengths when compared to freeze-dried. The experimental results in this study revealed that N. oceanica and T. chuiin paste are the most suitable microalgae forms to be used in zebrafish larvae nutrition and in the improvement of enrichmentmethodologies for rotifers.