Examinando por Autor "Contreras-Porcia, Loretto"
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Ítem Coastal pollution from the industrial park Quintero bay of central Chile: Effects on abundance, morphology, and development of the kelp Lessonia spicata (Phaeophyceae)(Public Library of Science, 2020-10) Oyarzo-Miranda, Carolina; Latorre, Nicolás; Meynard, Andrés; Rivas, Jorge; Bulboa, Cristian; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoThe industrial park of Quintero Bay (QB) in the central coast of Chile was established in the 1960s, presents high levels of pollution due to the industrial activity, and it is known as one of the five Chilean “sacrifice zones”. Lessonia spicata is the most important habitat-forming kelp species in the intertidal along the central and south shores of Chile, and currently there are no morphometric and population studies of L. spicata (or other seaweed species) nor studies about the effects of pollution on its development in QB and neighbouring sites. In this context, the aims of this study were (i) to register the abundance and morphological features of L. spicata populations from Ventanas, Horcón and Cachagua (sites with different pollution histories and located only up to 40 km from the QB); ii) to determine the heavy metals (HMs) concentration in seawater and marine sediments; and (iii) to evaluate in vitro the effects of exposure to seawater from the three sampling sites on spore release and early developmental stages, up to the juvenile sporophyte. Results showed that the chronically exposed Ventanas kelp population had the smallest adult individuals in comparison with the other sites. Ventanas and Horcón registered high HMs concentration in the seawater and marine sediments exceeding the international permissible limits (e.g in seawater Cu 20–859 μg L-1; sediments Cu > 50,000 μg kg-1). Unexpectedly in Cachagua, a site often considered unpolluted, high concentrations of Cu and As were also registered in the seawater (859 and 1,484 μg L-1, respectively) and of As in marine sediments (20,895 μg kg-1). Exposure of gametophytes to the seawater from Ventanas resulted in a developmental delay compared to the other treatments; however, low sporophyte production was determined in all treatments. Our results indicate that QB, more notably Ventanas, induce highly negative effects on individual development, and consequently on seaweed populations, which suggest a long-term negative impact on the community structure of these marine zones. Furthermore, the high concentrations of HMs reported here at Cachagua suggest a recent expansion of pollution along the central coast of Chile, evidencing effects on the marine ecosystem health even on sites far from the pollution source. Copyright: © 2020 Oyarzo-Miranda et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Ítem Controlled cultivation of different stages of Pyropia orbicularis (Rhodophyta; Bangiales) from the South Pacific coast(Elsevier B.V., 2023-06) Piña, Florentina; Núñez, Alejandra; Araya, Matías; Rivas, Jorge; Hernández, Constanza; Bulboa, Cristian; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoThe species of the genus Pyropia have a diplohaplontic life cycle, in which there is a gametophytic phase (n) or blade, and a microscopic sporophytic phase (2n), known as conchocelis, as well as intermediate stages of development. Pyropia species, together with Porphyra species, belong to the group of the most commercialized and produced macroalgae worldwide, mainly due to their high nutritional value and high content of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The interest in cultivating and exploiting this marine resource has increased in recent years; nevertheless, despite the development of cultivation techniques and technologies for these species, there are still difficulties involved in their successful cultivation, mainly related to the great interspecific and intraspecific variability in the required culture conditions. In this work, we study the life cycle development of Pyropia orbicularis, a species endemic to the South Pacific, to determine the effect of abiotic culture parameters, such as the temperature and photoperiod, on the formation and development of early and late life cycle stages, such as conchocelis formation, cochoesporangial filaments, conchospore release and blade growth. Our results demonstrate that the conchocelis phase grew rapidly under 8:16 h (L:D) photo period conditions at both 15 ◦C and 20 ◦C. The lower temperatures favored the formation of conchosporangia and conchospores; the rate of their development was increased at 15 ◦C. The development of the blades in the suspended culture system was constant during the experimental period, generating blades of the same color and shape as those from natural populations. Our results reflect the adaptation of P. orbicularis to the seasonal environmental conditions it is exposed to and the importance of maintaining optimal abiotic parameters for the success of its culture. This work is the first to describe the full life cycle development of P. orbicularis under controlled conditions, which has important implications for commercial production.Ítem Desiccation Stress Tolerance in Porphyra and Pyropia Species: A Latitudinal Analysis along the Chilean Coast(MDPI, 2022-12) Contreras-Porcia, Loretto; Meynard, Andrés; Piña, Florentina; Kumar, Manoj; Lovazzano, Carlos; Núñez, Alejandra; Flores-Molina, María RosaOne of the most important factors regulating the distribution and abundance of seaweeds is desiccation, triggered mainly by tidal changes and climatic variation. Porphyra and Pyropia species have evolved multiple strategies to tolerate desiccation stress; however, how these tolerance strategies differ in these species inhabiting different latitudes is still unknown. In this context, we analyzed, in situ, the physiological responses of these species (collected from 18° S to 41° S along the Chilean coast) to desiccation stress using biochemical and molecular analyses. The hyper-arid terrestrial climate of northern Chile, with high evaporation and lack of constant rain determines a very steep increase in desiccation stress in the upper intertidal during low tide for these species. Accordingly, the results showed that, in comparison with the southernmost populations, the Porphyra/Pyropia species from the north zone of Chile (18°–30° S) exhibited higher contents of lipoperoxide and carbonyls (1.6–1.9 fold) together with higher enzymatic activities, including ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, peroxiredoxin, and thioredoxin (2–3-fold). In addition, a substantial expression of cat, prx, and trx transcripts during desiccation was demonstrated, mainly in the northernmost populations. These results provide evidence of (i) significant activation of antioxidant enzymes and transcripts (principally cat and prx); (ii) participation of phenolic antioxidant compounds as a highly plastic physiological strategy to cope with desiccation; and (iii) the activation of the tolerance responses was affected by species latitudinal distribution. Thus, for the first time, this study integrated the biochemical and genetic responses of diverse Porphyra/Pyropia species to better understand their physiological dynamics of tolerance over a wide latitudinal range. © 2022 by the authors.Ítem Differential gene expression in Pyropia columbina (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) under natural hydration and desiccation conditions(Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, 2013) Contreras-Porcia, Loretto; López-Cristoffanini, Camilo; Lovazzano, Carlos; Flores-Molina, María Rosa; Thomas, Daniela; Núñez, Alejandra; Fierro, Camila; Guajardo, Eduardo; Correa, Juan A.; Kube, Michael; Reinhardt, RichardRESUMEN. En Zonas Costeras rocosas, la desecación es gatillada porción Cambios Diarios en los Niveles de marea, y la Evidencia indica experimental de Me Distribución de las algas en la zona intermareal no está Relacionada estafa do palabra capacidad, párr tolerar la desecación. En Este Contexto, la Presencia de Pyropia columbina en la zona alta del intermareal sí Explica Por Su excepcional tolerancia fisiológica a la desecación. Este Estudio explora las Vías Metabólicas involucradas en la tolerancia a la desecación en P. columbina, un Través de la Caracterización de do transcriptoma Bajo Condiciones de hidratación contrastantes. Se obtuvó 1410 TER provenientes de dos Librerías de substracción de ADNc de frondas Naturalmente hidratadas y desecadas. Los transcriptomas de emba Librerías contienen transcritos de Diversas Rutas Metabólicas Relacionadas a la tolerancia. Entre el los transcritos expresados 15% estan involucrados en la Síntesis de Proteínas, do Procesamiento y degradacion, 14,4% Asociados un Fotosíntesis y cloroplasto, el 13,1% una mitocondrial Respiración and function, 10,6% al metabolism de la Pared Celular y 7,5% a la Actividad ANTIOXIDANTE, Proteínas chaperonas y factors de Defensa (catalasa, tiorredoxina, Proteínas de choque térmico, P450 citocromo). In Ambás Librerías sí DESTACA La Presencia De genes / Proteínas no descritos en algas. Proporciona Información This El Primer Trabajo molecular Que Estudia la tolerancia a desecación en P. columbina y Sus Resultados Ayudan a explicar los patrones clásicos de Distribución descritos párr algas en la zona intermareal. Palabras clave: Pyropia, desecación porción Estrés, EST, macroalgas, transcriptómica, Proteínas.Ítem Effect of pyrolysis temperature on copper aqueous removal capability of biochar derived from the kelp macrocystis pyrifera(MDPI, 2021-10) Araya, Matías; Rivas, Jorge; Sepúlveda, Graciela; Espinoza-González, Camila; Lira, Sebastián; Meynard, Andrés; Blanco, Elodie; Escalona, Néstor; Ginocchio, Rosanna; Garrido-Ramírez, Elizabeth; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoSeaweed biochar is an efficient alternative bioadsorbent for Cu2+ removal due to its low cost and heavy metal removal capacity. Using the slow pyrolysis process, we produced biochars from Macrocystis pyrifera at 300 (BC300), 450 (BC450), and 600◦C (BC600). The physicochemical and structural properties of the biochar samples improved with increasing pyrolysis temperature from 300 to 450◦C, whereas no significant differences were observed with further increases in temperature to 600◦C. The yield ranged between 49% and 62% and had a high ash content (57.5–71.1%). BC450 and BC600 presented the highest surface areas and higher porosities. The FTIR spectra indicated that an increase of temperature decreased the acidic functional groups due to depolymerization and the dehydration processes, increasing the aromatic structures and the presence of calcium carbonate. The fittings of the kinetic models were different for the BCs: for the BC450 and BC600 samples, the Cu2+ adsorption was well-represented by a pseudo-first-order model; for BC300, a better fit was obtained with the pseudo-second-order model. The rate-limiting step of Cu2+ adsorption on BCs was represented by both models, liquid film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion, with surface diffusion being more important in BC300 and BC600, and intraparticle diffusion in BC450, in agreement with the pore size of the biochar samples. The adsorption isotherms of all BCs showed Langmuir behavior, representative of a chemisorption process, which was corroborated by the energy adsorption values determined by the D–R model. The maximum monolayer Cu2+ adsorption capacities were 93.55 and 58.0 mg g−1 for BC600 and BC450, respectively, whereas BC450 presented the highest affinity. Other mechanisms involved in controlling heavy metal removal from aqueous suspensions using these seaweed biochars remain to be explored. We conclude that BC450 and BC600 from M. pyrifera are the most efficient adsorbents for Cu2+ aqueous removal and are thus an appropriate alternative for bioremediation. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Ítem Enhancement of Xanthophyll Synthesis in Porphyra/Pyropia Species (Rhodophyta, Bangiales) by Controlled Abiotic Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis(NLM (Medline), 2021-04) Piña, Florentina; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoRed alga species belonging to the Porphyra and Pyropia genera (commonly known as Nori), which are widely consumed and commercialized due to their high nutritional value. These species have a carotenoid profile dominated by xanthophylls, mostly lutein and zeaxanthin, which have relevant benefits for human health. The effects of different abiotic factors on xanthophyll synthesis in these species have been scarcely studied, despite their health benefits. The objectives of this study were (i) to identify the abiotic factors that enhance the synthesis of xanthophylls in Porphyra/Pyropia species by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the xanthophyll content found in the literature, and (ii) to recommend a culture method that would allow a significant accumulation of these compounds in the biomass of these species. The results show that salinity significantly affected the content of total carotenoids and led to higher values under hypersaline conditions (70,247.91 µg/g dm at 55 psu). For lutein and zeaxanthin, the wavelength treatment caused significant differences between the basal and maximum content (4.16-23.47 µg/g dm). Additionally, in Pyropia spp., the total carotenoids were considerably higher than in Porphyra spp.; however, the lutein and zeaxanthin contents were lower. We discuss the specific conditions for each treatment and the relation to the ecological distribution of these species.Ítem Heavy Metal Depuration Steps for Gracilaria chilensis in Outdoor Culture Systems(MDPI, 2022-10) Rivas, Jorge; Piña, Florentina; Araya, Matías; Latorre-Padilla, Nicolás; Pinilla-Rojas, Benjamín; Caroca, Sofía; Bronfman, Francisca C.; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoSeaweed aquaculture is affected by natural and anthropogenic stressors, which put the biomass productivity of the cultures at risk. Seaweed biomass for commercial purposes, principally in pharmaceutical and/or nutraceutical applications, needs to be free of pollutants; therefore, controlled cultures have relevance in regulating the quality of biomass. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the successful utilization of controlled outdoor cultures to remove excess heavy metal accumulation in Gracilaria chilensis, an important commercial seaweed farming model. Specifically, we designed a simple and operational heavy metal depuration protocol, utilizing seawater and tap water removal, which permitted the concentration reduction of 10 heavy metals, including As, Cu, and Cd but not Zn, from the biomass at 7 days of culture. The percentage of depuration of the heavy metals ranged from 32 to 92% at 7 days, which was maintained throughout 21 days of culture. During the culture period, the monitored physicochemical parameters (temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, among others) remained stable, with an increase in the daily growth rate (DGR% d−1) of the biomass recorded after 14 days of culture. Consequently, the experimental setup was successful for heavy metal depuration, which highlights the importance of controlled outdoor cultures as important tools of sustainability. © 2022 by the authors.Ítem Indoor and Outdoor Cultures of Gracilaria chilensis: Determination of Biomass Growth and Molecular Markers for Biomass Quality Evaluation(MDPI, 2023-03) Caroca-Valencia, Sofía; Rivas, Jorge; Araya, Matías; Núñez, Alejandra; Piña, Florentina; Toro-Mellado, Fernanda; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoTaking into consideration climate change scenarios, marine contamination, and a constantly expanding world population, seaweed aquaculture has become an important option for the large-scale production of high-quality biomass. Due to existing biological knowledge of Gracilaria chilensis, several cultivation strategies have been established for obtaining diverse biomolecules (lipids, fatty acids, pigments, among others) with nutraceutical properties. In this research, indoor and outdoor cultivation methodologies were applied to generate high biomass of G. chilensis with positive quality for productive purposes, where the quality was determined according to the concentrations of lipoperoxides and phenolic compounds and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The results showed that G. chilensis cultures, which were fertilized for three weeks with Basfoliar® Aktiv (BF) at concentrations of 0.05–1% v/v, obtained high biomass (1–1.3 kg m–2) and DGR (0.35–4.66% d–1), low lipoperoxides (0.5–2.8 µmol g–1 DT), and high phenolic compounds (0.4–0.92 µ eq. GA g–1 FT) and TAC (5–7.5 nmol eq. TROLOX g–1 FT) as compared with other culture media. Lower stress was determined under indoor cultures, due to the operative control of diverse physicochemical stressor parameters (T°, light intensity, photoperiod, among others). Therefore, the cultures developed allow scaling the biomass in productive terms and are suitable for obtaining compounds of interest. © 2023 by the authors.Ítem Methylglyoxal metabolism in seaweeds during desiccation(Universidad de Valparaíso. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, 2016) Fierro, Camila; López-Cristoffanini, Camilo; Latorre, Nicolás; Rivas, Jorge; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoIn primary producers, diverse stressors cause an over-production of methylglyoxal (MG), which is principally detoxified by glyoxalase I (GLO1) activity. A recent proteomic study found that GLO1 was up-regulated during natural desiccation in the red seaweed Pyropia orbicularis, which inhabits the upper intertidal rocky zone and compared to other species, is highly tolerant to air exposure. To better understand and determine differential responses to desiccation stress, this study evaluated MG concentration and GLO1 activity in two species with contrasted vertical distribution, P. orbicularis and Lessonia spicata (lower distribution). Results showed that P. orbicularis successfully scavenges MG via increased GLO1 activity during desiccation. In contrast, GLO1 activity in L. spicata did not increase during desiccation, resulting in MG overproduction. This study is the first to quantify MG and GLO1 levels in seaweeds during natural stress, and partly explain the mechanisms by which P. orbicularis is dominant in the upper rocky intertidal zone.Ítem Morphological and Molecular Identification of Ulva spp. (Ulvophyceae; Chlorophyta) from Algarrobo Bay, Chile: Understanding the Composition of Green Tides(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024-05) Mutizabal-Aros, Javiera; Ramírez, María Eliana; Haye, Pilar A.; Meynard, Andrés; Pinilla-Rojas, Benjamín; Núñez, Alejandra; Latorre-Padilla, Nicolás; Search, Francesca V.; Tapia, Fabian J.; Saldías, Gonzalo S.; Navarrete, Sergio A.; Contreras-Porcia, LorettoGreen algae blooms of the genus Ulva are occurring globally and are primarily attributed to anthropogenic factors. At Los Tubos beach in Algarrobo Bay along the central Chilean coast, there have been blooms of these algae that persist almost year-round over the past 20 years, leading to environmental, economic, and social issues that affect the local government and communities. The objective of this study was to characterize the species that form these green tides based on a combination of ecological, morpho-anatomical, and molecular information. For this purpose, seasonal surveys of beached algal fronds were conducted between 2021 and 2022. Subsequently, the sampled algae were analyzed morphologically and phylogenetically using the molecular markers ITS1 and tufA, allowing for the identification of at least five taxa. Of these five taxa, three (U. stenophylloides, U. uncialis, U. australis) have laminar, foliose, and distromatic morphology, while the other two (U. compressa, U. aragoensis) have tubular, filamentous, and monostromatic fronds. Intertidal surveys showed that U. stenophylloides showed the highest relative coverage throughout the seasons and all intertidal levels, followed by U. uncialis. Therefore, we can establish that the green tides on the coast of Algarrobo in Chile are multispecific, with differences in relative abundance during different seasons and across the intertidal zone, opening opportunities for diverse future studies, ranging from ecology to algal biotechnology.Ítem Response to oxidative stress induced by high light and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the biodiesel producer model Nannochloropsis salina (Ochrophyta, Eustigmatales)(Universidad de Valparaíso. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, 2015) Yangüez, Karen; Lovazzano, Carlos; Contreras-Porcia, Loretto; Ehrenfeld, NicoleDue to overconsumption of fossil fuels, microalgae have arrived as an alternative source of biofuel. Looking forward to generate a sustainable process, it is proposed to couple the cultures to CO2 emission sources, reaching in this way higher biomass performance and helping in the way with the capture of carbon released by the combustion processes. Nannochloropsis salina is a microalgae from the Monodopsidaceae family, which is easy to grow and produces high value compounds like essential pigments, polyunsaturated fatty acids and high amounts of lipids. Previous studies showed that adding CO2 to cultures (until 2%) generated an increment in biomass and in the production of fatty acids. However, these conditions also induce acidification of the media, a condition that may promote the generation of oxygen reactive species. In this work, the antioxidant performance of N. salina was studied under different culture conditions involving CO2 through 3 different approaches: analysis of antioxidant enzymatic activities (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and peroxiredoxine), analysis of gene expression and the quantification of H2O2, phenolic compounds and lipoperoxides (e.g., cell damage marker). The results obtained suggest that an increase in the CO2 concentration in the cultures (15,000 ppm), together with high light (1,000 µmol m-1 s-1) induces an oxidative stress condition in N. salina cells. However, the antioxidant response observed in the microalgae manages to soften this stress, adapting themselves to these conditions without affecting their global performance.