Effects of ectoine on behavioural, physiological and biochemical parameters of Daphnia magna

Ectoine (ECT) is a compatible solute produced by soil, marine and freshwater bacteria in response to stressful factors. The purpose of our study was to determine the possible toxic influence of ECT on Daphnia magna. We determined the following endpoints: survival rate during exposure and recovery, swimming performance, heart rate, thoracic limb movement determined by image analysis, haemoglobin level by ELISA assay, catalase and nitric oxide species (NOx) by spectrophotometric methods. The results showed 80% survival of daphnids exposed to 50 mg/L of ECT after 24 h and 10% after 90 h, however lower concentrations of ECT were well tolerated. A concentration-dependent reduction of swimming velocity was noted at 24 and 48 h of the exposure. ECT (at 2.5 and 4 mg/L) induced an increase of heart rate and thoracic limb movement (at 2.5, 4 and 20 mg/L) after 24 h. After 10 h of the exposure to ECT daphnids showed a concentration-dependent increase of haemoglobin level synthesized and accumulated in the epipodite epithelia. After 24 h we noted a concentration-dependent decrease of haemoglobin level and its lowest value was found after 48 h of the exposure. ECT at a concentration of 20 and 25 mg/L slightly stimulated catalase activity after 24 h. NOx level was also increased after 10 h of the exposure to 20 and 25 mg/L of ECT reaching maximal activity after 24 h. Our results suggest that ECT possesses some modulatory potential on the behaviour, physiology and biochemical parameters in daphnids.