Non-target impact of fungicide tetraconazole on microbial communities in soils with different agricultural management

Effect of the fungicide tetraconazole on microbial community in silt loam soils from orchard with long history of triazole application and from grassland with no known history of fungicide usage was investigated. Triazole tetraconazole that had never been used on these soils before was applied at the field rate and at tenfold the FR. Response of microbial communities to tetraconazole was investigated during 28-day laboratory experiment by determination of changes in their biomass and structure (phospholipid fatty acids method—PLFA), activity (fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis—FDA) as well as changes in genetic (DGGE) and functional (Biolog) diversity. Obtained results indicated that the response of soil microorganisms to tetraconazole depended on the management of the soils. DGGE patterns revealed that both dosages of fungicide affected the structure of bacterial community and the impact on genetic diversity and richness was more prominent in orchard soil. Values of stress indices—the saturated/monounsaturated PLFAs ratio and the cyclo/monounsaturated precursors ratio, were almost twice as high and the Gram-negative/Gram-positive ratio was significantly lower in the orchard soil compared with the grassland soil. Results of principal component analysis of PLFA and Biolog profiles revealed significant impact of tetraconazole in orchard soil on day 28, whereas changes in these profiles obtained for grassland soil were insignificant or transient. Obtained results indicated that orchards soil seems to be more vulnerable to tetraconazole application compared to grassland soil. History of pesticide application and agricultural management should be taken into account in assessing of environmental impact of studied pesticides. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10646-016-1661-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Potential of Mixed Fruit-Based Beverages: a New Insight on the Folin-Ciocalteu Method

Definition of a standard method for measuring antioxidant capacity is still a necessity for both researchers and food industry. This study is aimed to evaluate if Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C) method could be reconsidered as suitable for antioxidant potency comparison purposes in food matrices. F-C and four other common tests for measuring antioxidant capacity (ORAC, TEAC, FRAP, CUPRAC) were applied to mixed fruit-based beverages. An overall antioxidant potency composite index (API composite) was calculated by assigning each test equal weight, in order to establish the ranking of antioxidant capacity in the analyzed samples. In addition, the study provides an evaluation of the compounds related to the antioxidant potential of these beverages (total phenolics, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid) through principal component analysis (PCA). Total phenolics were the principal component influencing the antioxidant capacity of these samples. This is highlighted with the high correlation found between FBBB and all the antioxidants assays performed (P orange fruit formulated juices > mixed fruit nectars. As a result, the use of F-C for antioxidant potency comparison of fruit-based beverages is encouraged.This work has been possible thanks to the funding from ALIMNOVA research group (UCM-GR3/14).Peer reviewe

Development of Methods for the Determination of PhACs in Soil/Earthworm/Crop System Irrigated with Reclaimed Water

Pharmaceuticals have been becoming a major concern of environmental pollution since the beginning of the century. The ways in which these contaminants are introduced into the environment are very different, but almost always associated with wastewater. In fact, current wastewater treatment plants are not designed for the removal of pharmaceutical products. Indeed, the problem of water scarcity has played an important role in the introduction of pharmaceutical products into the environment, particularly in the agricultural sector. Because of the drought, more and more countries are resorting to the use of treated wastewater to irrigate vegetables for human consumption. Consequently, the reuse of wastewater in agriculture constitutes a continuous introduction of these molecules into the soil. The effects of this practice are not entirely clear. However, the probability that these compounds can enter the food chain directly is high. In fact, through radical absorption, plants could uptake pharmaceuticals from soil and water, leading to the accumulation of drugs in the tissues. The development of analytical methods of solid matrices such as soil or plant tissues requires substantial work due to the great complexity of the matrices and the differences between the physico-chemical properties of analytes of interest. Several multi-class methods have recently been developed to determine a large number of pharmaceutical products in soil or plants using different extraction techniques. This chapter addresses to list all the analytical procedures published so far used for the extraction and analysis of pharmaceutical products from plant tissues and from the soil irrigated with treated wastewater.This study has been financially supported by the EU through the WaterJPI-2015 AWARE project (PCIN-2017-067). This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project CEX2018-000794-S). The authors thank the Water Challenges for a Changing World Joint Programming Initiative.Peer reviewe