Publicação
The Unhappy Effects of the Antidepressant Fluoxetine on the Freshwater Microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata
| datacite.subject.fos | Engenharia e Tecnologia | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 09:Indústria, Inovação e Infraestruturas | |
| dc.contributor.author | Dias Machado, Manuela | |
| dc.contributor.author | Soares, Eduardo | |
| dc.contributor.editor | Barata, Carlos | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-26T12:22:14Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-26T12:22:14Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-10-10 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Pharmaceuticals can be found in the aquatic environment and cause unwanted effects on organisms. The present work aimed to characterize the toxic mode of action of the antidepressant fluoxetine (FLX) on the freshwater microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata. With this aim, the microalga was exposed to low levels (µg/L) of FLX for 72 h. Exposure to 20–30 µg/L FLX arrested algal growth, which can be explained by the blockage of algal nuclear division. In addition, FLX (15–30 µg/L) deeply altered the alga’s metabolism, which was reflected by an increase in esterase activity, mitochondrial dysfunction (hyperpolarization of inner mitochondrial membrane), and reduction in the content of photosynthetic pigments: chlorophyll a (chla) and carotenoids (car). A sharp decline in photosynthetic performance, revealed by the reduction in maximum photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm), effective photochemical quantum yield (ΦPSII), and photosynthetic electron transport rate (ETR) of photosystem II (PSII), was also observed. FLX, at 30 µg/L, induced the intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation, with a marginal loss (1%) of cell membrane integrity. The results presented here contribute to the elucidation of the toxic mode of action of FLX on the microalgae R. subcapitata and, simultaneously, warn of the negative impact of the presence of pharmaceutical compounds in freshwater aquatic environments. | eng |
| dc.description.sponsorship | This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469: Centre of Biological Engineering of the University of Minho, and by LABBELS—Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectrochemical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Machado, M. D., & Soares, E. V. (2025). The Unhappy Effects of the Antidepressant Fluoxetine on the Freshwater Microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata. Toxics, 13(10), 876. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13100876 | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.3390/toxics13100876 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2305-6304 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/31918 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.peerreviewed | yes | |
| dc.publisher | MDPI | |
| dc.relation | Centre of Biological Engineering of the University of Minho | |
| dc.relation.hasversion | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/13/10/876 | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | 876 | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | intracellular ROS accumulation | |
| dc.subject | lipid peroxidation | |
| dc.subject | mitochondrial dysfunction | |
| dc.subject | oxidative stress biomarkers | |
| dc.subject | photosynthetic activity | |
| dc.subject | Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (=Selenastrum capricornutum) | |
| dc.subject | toxic mode of action | |
| dc.title | The Unhappy Effects of the Antidepressant Fluoxetine on the Freshwater Microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata | eng |
| dc.type | research article | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oaire.awardNumber | UIDB/04469/2020 | |
| oaire.awardTitle | Centre of Biological Engineering of the University of Minho | |
| oaire.awardURI | info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F04469%2F2020/PT | |
| oaire.citation.issue | 10 | |
| oaire.citation.title | Toxics | |
| oaire.citation.volume | 13 | |
| oaire.fundingStream | 6817 - DCRRNI ID | |
| oaire.version | http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85 | |
| person.familyName | Dias Machado | |
| person.familyName | Soares | |
| person.givenName | Manuela | |
| person.givenName | Eduardo | |
| person.identifier | 93637 | |
| person.identifier.ciencia-id | 491C-EDE6-F3F3 | |
| person.identifier.ciencia-id | D612-0D0E-4984 | |
| person.identifier.orcid | 0000-0003-3519-8654 | |
| person.identifier.orcid | 0000-0003-2280-5291 | |
| person.identifier.rid | O-5908-2015 | |
| person.identifier.scopus-author-id | 23485908300 | |
| person.identifier.scopus-author-id | 7102060173 | |
| project.funder.identifier | http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871 | |
| project.funder.name | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | |
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