Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China; Biochemistry and Biological Engineering Research Group, Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Nasiriyah 64001, Iraq.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 15;904:166687. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166687. Epub 2023 Sep 1.
Marine periphytic ciliates play a pivotal role in shaping coastal ecosystems dynamics, thereby acting as robust biological indicators of aquatic ecosystem health and functionality. However, the understanding of the effects of veterinary antibiotics on composition and structure of periphytic ciliate communities remains limited. Therefore, this research investigates the influence of the veterinary antibiotic nitrofurazone on the community dynamics of marine periphytic ciliates through bioassay experiments conducted over a one-year cycle. Various concentrations of nitrofurazone were administered to the tested ciliate assemblages, and subsequent changes in community composition, abundance, and diversity were quantitatively analyzed. The research revealed significant alterations in periphytic ciliate communities following exposure to nitrofurazone. Concentration-dependent (0-8 mg L) decrease in ciliates abundance, accompanied by shifts in species composition, community structure, and community patterns were observed. Comprehensive assessment of diversity metrics indicated significant changes in species richness and evenness in the presence of nitrofurazone, potentially disrupting the stability of ciliate communities. Furthermore, nitrofurazone significantly influenced the community structure of ciliates in all seasons (winter: R = 0.489; spring: R = 0.666; summer: R = 0.700, autumn: R = 0.450), with high toxic potential in treatments 4 and 8 mg L. Differential abundances of ciliates varied across seasons and nitrofurazone treatments, some orders like Pleurostomatida were consistently affected, while others (i.e., Strombidida and Philasterida) showed irregular distributions or were evenly affected (e.g., Urostylida and Synhymeniida). Retrieved contrasting patterns between nitrofurazone and community responses underscore the broad response repertoire exhibited by ciliates to antibiotic exposure, suggesting potential cascading effects on associated ecological processes in the periphyton community. These findings significantly enhance the understanding of the ecological impacts of nitrofurazone on marine periphytic ciliate communities, emphasizing the imperative for vigilant monitoring and regulation of veterinary antibiotics to protect marine ecosystem health and biodiversity. Further research is required to explore the long-term effects of nitrofurazone exposure and evaluate potential strategies to reduce the ecological repercussions of antibiotics in aquatic environments, with a particular focus on nitrofurazone.
海洋周生动物纤毛虫在塑造沿海生态系统动态方面发挥着关键作用，因此可以作为水生生态系统健康和功能的强有力的生物指标。然而，人们对兽医抗生素对周生动物纤毛虫群落组成和结构的影响的理解仍然有限。因此，本研究通过为期一年的生物测定实验，调查了兽医抗生素呋喃唑酮对海洋周生动物纤毛虫群落动态的影响。将不同浓度的呋喃唑酮施用于测试的纤毛虫组合体中，并定量分析了群落组成、丰度和多样性的后续变化。研究表明，暴露于呋喃唑酮后，周生动物纤毛虫群落发生了显著变化。观察到纤毛虫丰度的浓度依赖性（0-8 mg/L）下降，同时物种组成、群落结构和群落模式发生变化。全面评估多样性指标表明，在存在呋喃唑酮的情况下，物种丰富度和均匀度发生了显著变化，可能破坏纤毛虫群落的稳定性。此外，呋喃唑酮显著影响了所有季节（冬季：R=0.489；春季：R=0.666；夏季：R=0.700；秋季：R=0.450）的纤毛虫群落结构，在 4 和 8 mg/L 处理中具有高毒性潜力。纤毛虫的差异丰度因季节和呋喃唑酮处理而异，一些目（如 Pleurostomatida）始终受到影响，而其他目（如 Strombidida 和 Philasterida）则表现出不规则分布或均匀影响（如 Urostylida 和 Synhymeniida）。在呋喃唑酮和群落响应之间提取出的对比模式突出了纤毛虫对抗生素暴露表现出的广泛反应谱，表明抗生素对周生生物群落中相关生态过程可能产生级联效应。这些发现极大地提高了对呋喃唑酮对海洋周生动物纤毛虫群落的生态影响的理解，强调了对兽医抗生素进行警惕监测和监管以保护海洋生态系统健康和生物多样性的必要性。需要进一步研究以探索呋喃唑酮暴露的长期影响，并评估减少抗生素在水生环境中的生态影响的潜在策略，特别是针对呋喃唑酮。
