Quantification of heavy metals and analysis of antioxidant activities in different tissues of mangrove collected from Chuuk lagoon

Abstract

To compare concentration of heavy metals with antioxidant activity in different tissues of mangrove, we were determined heavy metal contents, total polyphenolic compound levels and DPPH scavenging activities. And Heavy metal-related genes (metallothionein and phtochelatin synthase) were cloned for the purpose of using biomarkers for mangrove ecosystem. Fruit tissues in red mangrove accumulated large amounts of Pb, while root tissues in black mangrove accumulated large amounts of Pb, Fe and Cr. Size of PCR product for MT2 was 200 bp and one of PCS1 was 300 bp. The most significant hits were with Avicennia germinans mRNA for MT2 (80%) and PCS1 (97%) followed by other species and several other bivalve mollusks sequence. Root tissues in black mangrove, which contains high level of Pb, Fe and Cr, showed the low level of polyphenol and electron donating ability. These results indicate that heavy metal stress may play an important role in antioxidative activities in mangrove.