The aim of this study is to explain the biological response and rhizofiltration capacity of Pistia stratiotes, which is an aquatic macrophyte, in alleviating heavy metal stress. In our study, Pistia species were exposed to Nickel (Ni) at different concentrations over seven days. The potential of the aquatic macrophytes in accumulating heavy metals in the water and in removing them from the environment was evaluated by determining the bio-concentration factors (BCF). Selected biological parameters in the leaves of Pistia stratiotes, including metal accumulation, photosynthetic pigment amount, lipid peroxidation activity, and growth rates were measured at the end of the seven-day period. The highest amount of Ni accumulation in P. stratiotes occurred at a concentration of 20 mg l^-1. The amount of chlorophyll a (chl a) in P. stratiotes reached a value of 0.087 mg g^-1 at the Ni concentration of 20 mg l^-1. The relative growth rate (RGR) of P. stratiotes showed a negative correlation with the increases in the concentration levels of the metal. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased to 8.214 nmol/g at the concentration of 20 mg l^-1, depending on Ni concentration and time. In our study, the use of P. stratiotes has been determined to be an appropriate plant as an effective Ni accumulator to be utilized with the purpose of rhizofiltration.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, and its prevalence is expected to double in the next 30 years. Currently, no effective treatment exists for Parkinson’s disease. Thus, the research has focused on discovering new natural compounds with strong neuroprotective potential. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the methanol extract of Desmodesmus arthrodesmiformis EM13 (DaMe) on the mitochondrial damage pathway in an in vitro model of PD. The isolate of Desmodesmus arthrodesmiformis EM13 was first grown under appropriate culture conditions, and then the extract (DaMe) was prepared for use in the experiments. The total lipid and protein contents, fatty acid composition, and elemental content of DaMe were subsequently determined. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were pretreated with nontoxic concentrations of DaMe before 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) toxicity. Pretreatment with DaMe at concentrations of 100, 250, and 500 µg/mL showed a neuroprotective effect on 6-OHDA-induced SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells by decreasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, decreasing the total oxidant status (TOS), increasing the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), increasing the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), decreasing the oxidative DNA damage, and regulating gene expressions related to PD and apoptosis. Given the results of our study, we suggest that DaMe can be used as a natural source for producing drugs and dietary supplements intended to treat PD.

Microalgae are rich sources of essential biomolecules, including proteins, pigments, and a diverse array of secondary metabolites such as carotenoids, polyphenols, sterols, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and polysaccharides, which they secrete at various growth stages. Owing to this property, microalgae are gaining significant research interest as natural product producers with cell-protective potential and minimal or no side effects compared to synthetic drugs. This study explores the potential of the methanol extract of Dunaliella sp. (mD) as an in vitro therapeutic agent for breast cancer. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of mD were assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Folin-Ciocalteu methods. Additionally, its cytotoxic and oxidative effects were evaluated in vitro. mD exhibited a radical scavenging activity (RSA) of 40.27, 1.8% below the expected value, and a total phenolic content of 25.4 mg GAE/g dry extract. The MTT cell viability assay further indicated that this microalgal extract has cytotoxic potential against breast cancer cells. The IC50 values were 768 and 728 µg/mL for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. While the use of H2O2 alone led to an increase in ROS production in the cells, treatment with mD reduced ROS production. According to the current study, mD could be an interesting candidate for the synthesis of drugs and nutraceuticals for the treatment of breast cancer.