Can salicylic acid modulate biochemical, physiological and population alterations in a macrophyte species under chemical stress by diclofenac?

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 739; p. 139715
• Main Authors: Alkimin, G.D., Soares, A.M.V.M., Barata, C., Nunes, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.10.2020
• Subjects: Biochemical alterations; Lemna minor; Pharmaceuticals; Pigments content; Plant toxicology; Lemna minor; Biochemical alterations; Plant toxicology; Pigments content; Pharmaceuticals
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139715

Salicylic acid (SA) is a pharmaceutical drug that may exert toxic effects by its own; however, simultaneous exposure of plants to SA and to other substances, often results in the significant changes in the patterns of toxic response/resistance to these other sources of chemical stress. Thus, the aim of this work was to investigate the capacity of SA of modulating Lemna minor responses co-exposed to the pharmaceutical drug, diclofenac - DCF. To attain this objective, L. minor was exposed for 7 days, to DCF alone, and to combinations of DCF with SA. After exposure, biochemical, physiological and population endpoints were analyzed as follows: catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) activities, pigments content (chlorophyll a (Chl a), b (Chl b) and total (TChl), carotenoids (Car) and [Chl a]/[Chl b] and [TChl]/[Car] ratios), and growth specific rate, fresh weight and root length. Single exposures to DCF were capable of causing effects in all analyzed endpoints. However, co-exposure of DCF with SA partially reverted these effects. Finally, we may suggest that SA is capable to prevent the toxicity of DCF in macrophytes, by modulating the toxic response of exposed plants. [Display omitted] •Diclofenac (DCF) can affect biochemical traits in Lemna minor.•DCF decreased growth rate, fresh weight and root length in exposed plants.•Salicylic acid (SA, 4 μg/L) did not cause toxicological effects on L. minor.•SA modulates and reverts the toxic response to DCF in exposed plants.