Abstract
Mediterranean meadows of Posidonia oceanica are chronically exposed to complex mixtures of environmental contaminants, including metals and trace elements derived from coastal urbanization, maritime traffic, and industrial activities. This study aimed to assess metal-related toxicity in P. oceanica by integrating multi-element burden analysis with a panel of oxidative stress biomarkers. Concentrations of a wide suite of elements were quantified in samples of internal (juvenile), intermediate, and external (adult) leaves, reflecting the ontogenetic structure of the plant. Oxidative responses were evaluated using five biomarkers [i.e., hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lipid peroxidation (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and catalase (CAT)] measured on each leaf compartment. Biomarker data were standardized and integrated into a merged Stress Index summarizing overall physiological toxicity. Associations between individual elements, the sum of all measured elements (ΣallElements), the Stress Index, and single biomarkers were explored using Pearson correlation analysis. Juvenile leaves exhibited the highest Stress Index values, elevated H2O2 and TBARS, and marked activation of SOD and GST, indicating early oxidative toxicity. Intermediate leaves showed a trend toward increased CAT activity, not reaching statistical significance, along with minimal damage, suggesting effective detoxification, whereas adult leaves accumulated higher levels of Fe, Ni, and Pb, but displayed moderate stress responses. Overall, leaf-class structure strongly modulated both exposure and toxicological response. The integration of ΣAllElements with multi-biomarker indices provides a robust framework for diagnosing metal-related toxicity in P. oceanica under realistic multi-element exposure scenarios.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Juvenile leaves had the highest integrated stress and elevated oxidative damage markers.
- Taxon
- Posidonia oceanica
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Posidonia oceanicat0 - Organ / stage
- Juvenile leavese0
- Outcome
- highest Stress Index values, elevated H2O2 and TBARSe0
- Direction
- higheste0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Juvenile leaves exhibited the highest Stress Index values, elevated H2O2 and TBARS”
t0“Posidonia oceanica”
Claim · model-written summary
Juvenile leaves showed marked SOD and GST activation.
- Taxon
- Posidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanicat0
- Organ / stage
- Juvenile leavese1
- Outcome
- activation of SOD and GSTe0
- Direction
- marked activatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“marked activation of SOD and GST”
t0“Posidonia oceanica”
e1“Juvenile leaves exhibited the highest Stress Index values, elevated H2O2 and TBARS”
Claim · model-written summary
Intermediate leaves showed a nonsignificant trend toward increased CAT activity.
- Taxon
- Posidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanicat0
- Organ / stage
- Intermediate leavese0
- Outcome
- CAT activitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Intermediate leaves showed a trend toward increased CAT activity, not reaching statistical significance”
t0“Posidonia oceanica”
Claim · model-written summary
Intermediate leaves showed minimal damage.
- Taxon
- Posidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanicat0
- Outcome
- minimal damagee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“along with minimal damage”
t0“Posidonia oceanica”
Claim · model-written summary
Adult leaves accumulated more Fe, Ni and Pb.
- Taxon
- Posidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanicat0
- Organ / stage
- adult leavese0
- Outcome
- levels of Fe, Ni, and Pbe0
- Direction
- highere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“adult leaves accumulated higher levels of Fe, Ni, and Pb”
t0“Posidonia oceanica”
Claim · model-written summary
Adult leaves displayed moderate stress responses.
- Taxon
- Posidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanicat0
- Outcome
- moderate stress responsese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“displayed moderate stress responses”
t0“Posidonia oceanica”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf class modulated exposure and toxicological response.
- Taxon
- Posidonia oceanicaPosidonia oceanicat0
- Organ / stage
- leaf-class structuree0
- Outcome
- exposure and toxicological responsee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“leaf-class structure strongly modulated both exposure and toxicological response”
t0“Posidonia oceanica”
Claim · model-written summary
Integrating total elemental burden with biomarkers provides a framework for diagnosing toxicity.
- Taxon
- P. oceanicaPosidonia oceanicae0
- Outcome
- diagnosing metal-related toxicitye0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The integration of ΣAllElements with multi-biomarker indices provides a robust framework for diagnosing metal-related toxicity in P. oceanica”