Physiological and biochemical responses of Lemna minuta kunth to multi-walled carbon nanotubes and fullerene soot exposure
November 10, 2025
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| Article Title: | Physiological and biochemical responses of Lemna minuta kunth to multi-walled carbon nanotubes and fullerene soot exposure |
| Authors: | Olaru Ș.M., Zamfirache M.M. |
| Affiliation: | Faculty of Biology, „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Bd. Carol I, No. 20A, Iași, Romania |
| Abstract: | Carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs), such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and fullerene soot, are potential contaminants in natural environments due to their increasing use in various industries and limited biodegradability. The present research investigates the physiological and biochemical responses of Lemna minuta Kunth specimens, an aquatic macrophyte with potential bioindicator properties, under experimental cultivation conditions (addition of MWCNTs, MWCNTs-COOH, and fullerene soot in the growth medium). The plants were exposed to two concentrations (50 and 200 mg/L) of each CNM under controlled cultivation conditions for 14 days. The evaluated physiological parameters included stomatal density and size, chlorophyll fluorescence, and photosynthetic pigment content (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid pigments). Additionally, the amounts of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were quantified. A significant dose-dependent toxicity of the experimentally applied nanomaterials was observed, including changes in stomatal number and surface area, degradation of photosynthetic pigments, induction of oxidative stress, and activation of enzymatic defence mechanisms in the test plants. These findings highlight the sensitivity of Lemna minuta Kunth to the presence of synthetic carbon-based nanomaterials and emphasise its relevance as a bioindicator in aquatic ecotoxicology. |
| Keywords: | Lemna minuta, duckweed, MWCNTs, fullerene soot, abiotic stress, physiology, ROS, toxicity. |
| *Correspondence: | Olaru Ștefan Mihăiță, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Faculty of Biology, Bd. Carol I, No 20A, Iași, Romania, email: stefan.olaru@uaic.ro |
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