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Can the presence of green microalgae reverse the allelopathic effects of the submerged macrophyte Egeria densa on the toxin-producing cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii?

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Abstract

Investigations on the influence of green microalgae associated with cyanobacteria exposure to macrophytes and the production of cyanotoxins have not been previously explored. The effects of the presence of live plants and extracts of the Egeria densa, on the growth and saxitoxin production of Raphidiopsis raciborskii were investigated in the presence and absence of Chlorella vulgaris. The physical presence of the macrophyte reduced the biovolume of the cyanobacterium and its production of saxitoxins, while cultures exposed to aqueous extract had elevated saxitoxin levels. The green microalgae also increased the amount of cyanotoxins, especially when the macrophyte biomass was low. These findings suggest that E. densa can inhibit the growth of R. raciborskii and the production of cyanotoxins and that the presence of C. vulgaris can alter these processes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the FAPESQ (Foundation for Research Support of the State of Paraíba) and CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), (process 88887.142333 / 2017-00) for the financing of this study; the PPGCTA-UEPB (Environmental Engineering Post-Graduation Program of State University of Paraíba) and the Ecology Aquatic Laboratory team-UEPB for the support during the research time.

Funding

The funded was provided by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Grant No. 88887.142333 / 2017–0).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Ecologia Aquática - LEAq, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Rua Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, Campina Grande, CEP 58429-500, Brazil

    Vanessa Virginia Barbosa, Ranielle Daiana dos Santos Silva, Juliana dos Santos Severiano & José Etham de Lucena Barbosa

  2. Department of Botany, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 810001, Nigeria

    Mathias Ahii Chia

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  1. Vanessa Virginia Barbosa
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  2. Ranielle Daiana dos Santos Silva
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  5. José Etham de Lucena Barbosa
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception. VVB, JdSS, and RDdSS contributed to data curation; VVB and RDdSS contributed to formal analysis; VVB and JdSS provided methodology; JEdLB and JdSS provided resources; JdSS and JEdLB performed supervision; VVB, RDdSS, and MAC contributed to writing of the original draft; VVB, JdSS, MAC, and JEdLB contributed to writing, reviewing, & editing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Vanessa Virginia Barbosa.

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Barbosa, V.V., dos Santos Silva, R.D., dos Santos Severiano, J. et al. Can the presence of green microalgae reverse the allelopathic effects of the submerged macrophyte Egeria densa on the toxin-producing cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii?. Hydrobiologia 849, 4391–4406 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-04997-4

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