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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbiotechnology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1553857
This article is part of the Research Topic Microbial Biotechnologies for Efficient Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery View all 12 articles
Effects of Copper and Copper Oxide Nanoparticles on Cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia: An Experimental Study
Provisionally accepted
Liliana Cepoi 1*
Ludmila Rudi 1
Tatiana Chiriac 1
Ana Valuta 1 Svetlana Codreanu 1 Tatiana Mitina 2 Liviu Codreanu 1- 1 Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Technical University of Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova
- 2 Institute of Chemistry, Moldova State University, Chișinău, Moldova
Introduction: Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) are increasingly explored for their biological interactions with various organisms, including cyanobacteria, due to their unique properties and potential applications. This study investigates the effects of CuNPs and CuONPs on the cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia (Roth) Born et Flah CNMN-CB-03, focusing on biomass accumulation, biochemical content, pigment composition, and microscopic structural changes.Methods: Nostoc linckia cultures were exposed to CuNPs and CuONPs at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 30 mg/L. The impact on biomass, protein, pigment, lipid content, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and bioaccumulation of copper was assessed, alongside microscopic analysis to observe any structural modifications in trichomes.Results: The effects of CuNPs and CuONPs on Nostoc linckia were distinct. Under high concentrations of CuNPs exposure, reductions in biomass, protein content, and pigments were observed, whereas lipid and MDA content increased significantly. Similarly, CuONPs caused a marked increase in lipid and MDA levels, suggesting oxidative stress despite the comparatively moderate alterations in other biochemical parameters. Both nanoparticle types, however, caused notable bioaccumulation of copper and structural modification in Nostoc linckia cells expressed in trichome fragmentation, chromaticity changes, and variations in heterocyst numbers and size in treated samples.Conclusion: CuNPs and CuONPs exhibit differential effects on Nostoc linckia, influencing biochemical composition, pigment profiles, and cellular structure. These findings contribute to understanding nanoparticle interactions with cyanobacteria and highlight the distinct impact of nanoparticle composition on microbial systems.
Keywords: Copper nanoparticles, Copper oxide nanoparticles, Nostoc linckia, biomass amount, Biochemical changes, Copper accumulation
Received: 31 Dec 2024; Accepted: 11 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cepoi, Rudi, Chiriac, Valuta, Codreanu, Mitina and Codreanu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Liliana Cepoi, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Technical University of Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova
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