Skip to main content

Experimental accumulation and depuration kinetics and natural occurrence of microcystin-LR in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Research Authors
Wannes Hugo R. Van Hassel, Mohamed F. Abdallah, Maria Gracia Guzman Velasquez, Christopher O. Miles, Ingunn A. Samdal, Julien Masquelier, Andreja Rajkovic
Research Abstract

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.

Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Environmental Pollution
Research Member
Research Publisher
Elsevier
Research Rank
Q1
Research Vol
123715
Research Website
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749124004299?via%3Dihub
Research Year
2024
Research Pages
1-25