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Growing concern about the adverse environmental and human health effects of a wide range of micropollutants requires the development of novel tools and approaches to enable holistic monitoring of their occurrence, fate and effects in the aquatic environment. A European-wide demonstration program (EDP) for effect-based monitoring of micropollutants in surface waters was carried out within the Marie Curie Initial Training Network EDA-EMERGE. The main objectives of the EDP were to apply a simplified protocol for effect-directed analysis, to link biological effects to target compounds and to estimate their risk to aquatic biota. Onsite large volume solid phase extraction of 50 L of surface water was performed at 18 sampling sites in four European river basins. Extracts were subjected to effect-based analysis (toxicity to algae, fish embryo toxicity, neurotoxicity, (anti-)estrogenicity, (anti-)androgenicity, glucocorticoid activity and thyroid activity), to target analysis (151 organic micropollutants) and to nontarget screening. The most pronounced effects were estrogenicity, toxicity to algae and fish embryo toxicity. In most bioassays, major portions of the observed effects could not be explained by target compounds, especially in case of androgenicity, glucocorticoid activity and fish embryo toxicity. Estrone and nonylphenoxyacetic acid were identified as the strongest contributors to estrogenicity, while herbicides, with a minor contribution from other micropollutants, were linked to the observed toxicity to algae. Fipronil and nonylphenol were partially responsible for the fish embryo toxicity. Within the EDP, 21 target compounds were prioritized on the basis of their frequency and extent of exceedance of predicted no effect concentrations. The EDP priority list included 6 compounds, which are already addressed by European legislation, and 15 micropollutants that may be important for future monitoring of surface waters. The study presents a novel simplified protocol for effect-based monitoring and draws a comprehensive picture of the surface water status across Europe., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Many chemicals in use end up in the aquatic environment. The toxicity of water samples can be tested with bioassays, but a metabolomic approach has the advantage that multiple end points can be measured simultaneously and the affected metabolic pathways can be revealed. A current challenge in metabolomics is the study of mixture effects. This study aims at investigating the toxicity of an environmental extract and its most abundant chemicals identified by target chemical analysis of >100 organic micropollutants and effect-directed analysis (EDA) using the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) bioassay and metabolomics. Surface water from an agricultural area was sampled with a large volume solid phase extraction (LVSPE) device using three cartridges containing neutral, anionic, and cationic sorbents able to trap several pollutants classes like pharmaceuticals, pesticides, PAHs, PCBs, and perfluorinated surfactants. Targeted chemical analysis and AChE bioassay were performed on the cartridge extracts. The extract of the neutral sorbent cartridge contained most of the targeted chemicals, mainly imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and pirimicarb, and was the most potent AChE inhibitor. Using an EDA approach, other AChE inhibiting candidates were identified in the neutral extract, such as carbendazim and esprocarb. Additionally, a metabolomics experiment on the central nervous system (CNS) of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis was conducted. The snails were exposed to the extract, the three most abundant chemicals individually, and a mixture of these. The extract disturbed more metabolic pathways than the three most abundant chemicals individually, indicating the contribution of other chemicals. Most pathways perturbed by the extract exposure overlapped with those related to exposure to neonicotinoids, like the polyamine metabolism involved in CNS injuries. Metabolomics for the straightforward comparison between a complex mixture and single compound toxicity is still challenging but, compared to traditional biotesting, is a promising tool due to its increased sensitivity.

During early development, neurotransmitters are important stimulants for the development of the central nervous system. Although the development of different neuronal cell types during early zebrafish (Danio rerio) development is well-studied, little is known of the levels of neurotransmitters, their precursors and metabolites during development, and how these levels are affected by exposure to environmental contaminants. A method based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry has been applied for the first time to zebrafish embryos and larvae to study five neurotransmitter systems in parallel, including the dopaminergic-andrenergic, glutaminergic-GABAnergic, serotoninergic, histaminergic, and cholinergic systems. Our method enables the quantification of neurotransmitters and their precursors and metabolites in whole zebrafish from the period of zygote to free-swimming larvae 6 days postfertilization (dpf). We observed a developmental stage-dependent pattern with clear differences between the first 2 days of development and the following days. Whereas the neurotransmitter levels steadily increased, the precursors showed a peak at 3 dpf. After exposure to several pesticides, significant differences in concentrations of neurotransmitters and precursors were observed. Our study revealed new insights about neurotransmitter systems during early zebrafish development and showed the usefulness of our approach for environmental neurotoxicity studies.

Neurotransmitters are endogenous metabolites that allow the signal transmission across neuronal synapses. Their biological role is crucial for many physiological functions and their levels can be changed by several diseases. Because of their high polarity, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) is a promising tool for neurotransmitter analysis. Due to the large number of HILIC stationary phases available, an evaluation of the column performances and retention behaviors has been performed on five different commercial HILIC packing materials (silica, amino, amide and two zwitterionic stationary phases). Several parameters like the linear correlation between retention and the distribution coefficient (logD), the separation factor k and the column resolution Rs have been investigated and the column performances have been visualized with a heat map and hierarchical clustering analysis. An optimized and validated HILIC-MS/MS method based on the ZIC-cHILIC column is proposed for the simultaneous detection and quantification of twenty compounds consisting of neurotransmitters, precursors and metabolites: 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), 5-hydroxy-L-tripthophan, acetylcholine, choline, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), dopamine, epinephrine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, glutamine, histamine, histidine, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, norepinephrine, normetanephrine, phenylalanine, serotonin and tyramine. The method was applied to neuronal metabolite profiling of the central nervous system of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis. This method is suitable to explore neuronal metabolism and its alteration in different biological matrices., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The freshwater pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis is used in several studies on molecular and behavioral neurobiology and ecotoxicology showing its successful application as a model organism. In the present study, a cross-platform metabolomic approach has been evaluated to characterize the organ molecular phenotypes of L. stagnalis central nervous system (CNS), digestive gland (DG), and albumen gland (AG). Two types of tissue disruption methods were evaluated of which beads beating was the preferred method. To obtain a broad picture of the hydrophilic and lipophilic metabolome, two complementary analytical platforms have been employed: liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. Furthermore, to increase the power to separate small polar metabolites, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) was applied. The analytical platform performances have been evaluated based on the metabolome coverage, number of molecular features, reproducibility, and multivariate data analysis (MVDA) clustering. This multiplatform approach is a starting point for future global metabolic profiling applications on L. stagnalis.

The study provides original analytical data on the micronutrient profile of some traditional Italian hams, representative of the major ham categories produced in Italy: 4 dry-cured hams (Modena, Nazionale, Parma, San Daniele), 3 cooked hams (Cotto, Scelto, Alta Qualità), 1 smoked ham (Speck). Data on macronutrients (protein, lipid, moisture), energy, trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Se), B vitamins (B1, B2, PP, B6, B12) and vitamin E level in the 80 Italian hams sampled are reported. Smoked and dry-cured ham were the richest sources of Fe, Zn and Se and, among vitamins, dry-cured ham had the highest level of B2, PP, B6 and B12; cooked ham provided the lowest energy intake. The contribution of ham to micronutrients recommended dietary allowances was estimated: a ham portion (50g) was a good source especially of Zn and Se providing over 12% of RDA of both; among B vitamins, dry-cured ham greatly contributed to B1 and B6 vitamins RDA (both over 30%)., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Green leafy vegetables contribute greatly to the total intake of nitrates from the daily diet. This study evaluates the influence of different cultivation systems on nitrate accumulation in leafy vegetables. Two varieties of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) (Lattuga Romana, Foglia di Quercia) and two varieties of red radicchio of Treviso (Cychorium intibus L.) (Early, Late) were selected. Lettuce varieties were both organically and biodynamically grown; red radicchio varieties were conventionally grown both in the field and in spring water., Results: Both lettuce varieties biodynamically grown accumulated 1.3-2 times less nitrate than the respective organically grown plants. The two lettuce varieties showed differences in nitrate accumulating capacity: Foglia di Quercia was almost three times richer in nitrate than Lattuga Romana. The traditional growing systems applied to the red radicchio of Treviso varieties strongly influenced nitrate accumulation in leaves, the Early variety having up to 15 times higher nitrate than the Late variety., Conclusions: Our findings on nitrate levels in both lettuce and red radicchio of Treviso varieties suggest that both genetic factors and cultivation systems strongly affect the nitrate accumulation capacity. This study also highlights how the cultivation strategy can reduce nitrate levels in leafy vegetables, suggesting the possibility of modulating the N supply along the harvesting time., (Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.)