The different toxicological effects and removal efficiencies of norfloxacin and sulfadiazine in culturing Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis
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Norfloxacin (NFX) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) are two widely used antibiotics belonging to fluoroquinolone and sulfonamide groups, respectively, and have become the commonly detected micropollutants in aquatic environments. However, only few works have been conducted to investigate the highly probable inhibition of these antibiotic pollutants to Arthrospira platensis, which is an important species of cyanobacteria that is one of primary producers in aquatic ecosystems and should be remarkably sensitive to environmental pollutants due to its prokaryotic characteristics. Hence, the toxicological effects and removal efficiencies of NFX and SDZ in culturing A. platensis were studied by analyzing the biomass growth, photosynthetic pigments, primary biocomponents, and antibiotics concentration. The corresponding variations of these characteristics showed the higher sensitivity of A. platensis to NFX than to SDZ, indicating the specifically targeted effect of NFX on A. platensis, which could be confirmed in silico by the higher binding affinity of NFX with the critical enzyme. The obtained results illustrated the roles of NFX and SDZ on the growth of A. platensis, thus providing the great support in employing A. platensis to reduce hazards from contaminated water and recover biomass resources.
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Prior study reported that A. platensis showed a biochemical protective mechanism through enhancing lipid accumulation when exposed to Norfloxacin and sulfadiazine.
“For example, Jiang et al. (2023) reported that when A. platensis was confronted with the toxicity induced by Norfloxacin (NFX) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) at concentrations of 0.5 and 1 mg L -1 respectively, A. platensis showed a biochemical protective mechanism through enhancing the accumulation of lipids.”
From Integrated morpho-physiological and biochemical description of the mechanisms leading stress responses in cyanobacteria (Arthrospira platensis) upon exposure to Erythromycin (2025) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. (2023)
Section 3.3 reports increased lipid content in A. platensis at 0.5 mg L⁻¹ norfloxacin and describes lipid accumulation as a possible stress response to the antibiotics. It reports significant lipid stimulation at 0.5 mg L⁻¹ sulfadiazine, however, not at the cited 1 mg L⁻¹; it also presents the protective mechanism as a possibility rather than an established fact. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA. platensis is suitable as a model organism for antibiotic toxicity studies due to its ecological significance, sensitivity to antibiotics, measurable physiological responses, ease of cultivation, and regulatory importance.
“The selection of A. platensis as a model organism for antibiotic toxicity studies is based on its ecological significance, sensitivity to antibiotics, measurable physiological responses, ease of cultivation, and regulatory importance (Jiang et al. 2023).”
From Integrated morpho-physiological and biochemical description of the mechanisms leading stress responses in cyanobacteria (Arthrospira platensis) upon exposure to Erythromycin (2025) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. 2023
The Introduction describes A. platensis as important in aquatic food chains and sensitive to pollutants, while the Conclusions report measurable changes in growth, pigments, and biochemical components under antibiotic exposure. The cultivation methods show that the organism was cultured, but the paper does not identify ease of cultivation or regulatory importance as reasons for selecting it as a toxicity-study model. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPrior study reported that chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline inhibited carbohydrate accumulation in A. platensis.
“Similar observations were reported in Jiang et al. (2023), where exposures to chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline inhibited carbohydrate accumulation in A. platensis .”
From Integrated morpho-physiological and biochemical description of the mechanisms leading stress responses in cyanobacteria (Arthrospira platensis) upon exposure to Erythromycin (2025) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. (2023)
Section 3.3 reports that a similar decrease in carbohydrate content had been observed in studies of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline exposure in A. platensis. But Jiang et al. attribute that observation to Zhou et al. (2021); their own exposures were to norfloxacin and sulfadiazine, not the two antibiotics named in the citing sentence. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredLipids may play a role in xenobiotic detoxification through pollutant absorption.
“This indicates the potential role of lipids in xenobiotic detoxification through pollutant absorption (Jiang et al. 2023).”
From Integrated morpho-physiological and biochemical description of the mechanisms leading stress responses in cyanobacteria (Arthrospira platensis) upon exposure to Erythromycin (2025) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. 2023
Despite decreased biomass, A. platensis exhibits remarkable resilience, with compensatory mechanisms mitigating stress.
“Despite this decrease in overall biomass, the microalga exhibits remarkable resilience, with compensatory mechanisms coming into play to mitigate the impact of stress (Jiang et al. 2023).”
From Integrated morpho-physiological and biochemical description of the mechanisms leading stress responses in cyanobacteria (Arthrospira platensis) upon exposure to Erythromycin (2025) · cites this paper as Jiang et al. 2023
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“Similar observations were reported in Jiang et al. (2023), where exposures to chlor-tetracycline and oxytetracycline inhibited carbohydrate accumulation in A. platensis .”
Influential
- Authors
- Jiang, X., Wang, D., Wu, W., & Li, F.
- Affiliations
- Ocean University of China (CN)
- Tobacco Research Institute (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Dabin
- Li, Fengmin
- Venue
- Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-01
- Volume
- 250
- Pages
- 114468
- ISSN
- 0147-6513 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4313399864
- Cited by
- 22
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4
- FWCI
- 1.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIPTRIC06)
- Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (1610232019005)
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
- National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC0406304)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Keywords
- norfloxacin, sulfadiazine, Spirulina platensis, Spirulina, antibiotic toxicity, cyanobacteria, micropollutants, antibiotic removal, biomass growth, photosynthetic pigments, antibiotic binding affinity, contaminated water treatment, bioaccumulation
- MeSH terms
- Anti-Bacterial Agents, Norfloxacin, Sulfadiazine, Ecosystem, Biomass, Spirulina
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