Concentration of bioactive compounds in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis as an indicator of pollution

Jacek Namiesnik, Snejana Moncheva, Yong Seo Park, Kyung Sik Ham, Buk Gu Heo, Zeev Tashma, Elena Katrich, Shela Gorinstein*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organotins were analyzed in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis from polluted and unpolluted sites from Mokpo Bay, Korea. The total PAH's concentrations (10-3 mg kg-1) measured by GC-MS were in the range from 31 ± 23 to 1 ± 1. Among the eight PAHs the predominant ones were fluoranthene, phenanthrene and pyrene and accounted approximately 63% of the total PAHs. Among the four detected PCBs the highest content was of PCB 153, which accounted about 47% of the total PCBs. The main organotin compounds were dibutyltindichloride (DBT) and tributyltinchloride (TBT) and their composition was approximately 33% and 24%. PAHs, PCBs and organotins were found only in the mussels from polluted site. The antioxidant activity by ABTS [2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] test was higher in mussels from polluted than from unpolluted sites (P < 0.05). It was found a correlation between the determined compounds (PAHs, PCBs and organotins) and the antioxidant activity of the mussel tissue from polluted site and the correlation coefficients were 0.96, 0.92 and 0.80, respectively. Such correlation can be explained by the properties of mussels. Since the mussel cell wall and tissues are hydrophobic, they can concentrate a number of hydrophobic pollutants like PAHs and PCBs from the marine environment by solubility rules. On the other hand, proteins are lipophilic compounds having antioxidant properties. Certain amino acid residues and thiol (-SH) groups, contained in proteins, respond to the ABTS antioxidant activity assay. Thus there may be a correlation between the total antioxidant activity of the organism and the PAH-PCB pollutants which were concentrated from its environment. The studied properties of mussels from polluted site can be used as an additional indicator of pollution.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)938-944
Number of pages7
JournalChemosphere
Volume73
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2008

Keywords

  • Antioxidants
  • Biomarker
  • Mussels
  • PAH-PCB pollutants
  • Polluted and unpolluted sites

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