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Ecophysiology and Environmental Health: Assessing the Impact of Pollutants on...
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Ecophysiology and Environmental Health: Assessing the Impact of Pollutants on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 3675

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Renato Almeida Sarmento

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Graduate Programme in Plant Production, Federal University of Tocantins, Gurupi 77402-970, Brazil
2. Graduate Programme in Forest and Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Tocantins, Gurupi 77402-970, Brazil
3. Graduate Programme in Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Federal University of Tocantins, Gurupi 77402-970, Brazil
Interests: entomology; ecophysiology; ecotoxicology; functional ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maíra Ignacio Sarmento

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduation Programme in Forest Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Tocantins, Gurupi 77402-970, Brazil
Interests: arthropod pest–plant interactions; plant ecophysiology; ecophysiology of plant-defence induction and suppression by herbivores; functional biology
Dr. Carlos Gravato

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: ecotoxicology; biomarkers; ecophysiology; animal physiology; stress biology; oxidative stress; cellular energy allocation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental health is challenged every day due to climate change, pollutants and the exploitation of resources by humanity. Throughout the last two decades, the scientific community has been trying to draw the attention of decision makers and the general public to the loss of biodiversity and exhaustion of resources. Moreover, researchers have pointed out the origins, fate, risk assessment, and management methods, such as pest control, of the environmental aggressions promoted by mankind. This hard task is still a puzzle in progress that is leading us to a “one health” concept and a new approach aiming to link humans, animals, plants, and other organisms with the entire environment.

Therefore, it is urgent to launch this Special Issue, "Ecophysiology and Environmental Health: Assessing the Impact of Pollutants on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function", to address the serious and widespread impacts of anthropogenic activities on the environment, using an interdisciplinary approach aiming to link several levels of biological organization by determining functional alterations in cells, tissues, organs, individuals, populations, and communities.

This collection welcomes original research, reviews, short communications, comments, perspectives, and methods papers that focus on this “one health” concept and the functioning of organisms and their relationships.

Dr. Renato de Almeida Sarmento
Dr. Maíra Ignacio Sarmento
Dr. Carlos Gravato
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecophysiology
  • ecotoxicology
  • environmental health
  • pollutants
  • global change
  • one health
  • ecosystem functioning
  • plant ecophysiology
  • agricultural and forest crops

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4799 KiB  
Article
Morinda citrifolia Essential Oil: A Plant Resistance Biostimulant and a Sustainable Alternative for Controlling Phytopathogens and Insect Pests
by Bruna Leticia Dias, Renato Almeida Sarmento, Madelaine Venzon, Luis Oswaldo Viteri Jumbo, Lucas Samuel Soares dos Santos, Wellington de Souza Moura, Dalmarcia de Souza Carlos Mourão, Paulo Ricardo de Sena Fernandes, Taila Renata Neitzke, João Victor de Almeida Oliveira, Tiago Dias, Mateus Sunti Dalcin, Eugênio E. Oliveira and Gil Rodrigues dos Santos
Biology 2024, 13(7), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070479 - 27 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1455
Abstract
With the growing demand for sustainable and safe agricultural practices, plant compounds emerge as a solution for biological activities. Here, we evaluated the potential of using Morinda citrifolia essential oil to induce plant resistance and to control phytopathogens (Curvularia lunata) and [...] Read more.
With the growing demand for sustainable and safe agricultural practices, plant compounds emerge as a solution for biological activities. Here, we evaluated the potential of using Morinda citrifolia essential oil to induce plant resistance and to control phytopathogens (Curvularia lunata) and insect pests (Daubulus maidis). We conducted a chromatographic analysis to unveil the essential oil components. We also quantified the activity levels of antioxidant enzymes and chitinase for resistance induction. The antifungal action was evaluated through disease progression and the inhibition of mycelial growth in addition to in silico studies that made it possible to predict the interaction site between the fungal protein and the compounds. We assessed the toxicity and repellent actions towards the D. maidis. Octanoic acid (58.43%) was identified as the essential oil major compound. Preventive treatment with essential oil and octanoic acid (25.0 µL mL−1) increased not only the plant defense activities (i.e., the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, phenol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and chitinase) but also controlled Curvularia leaf spot. The stable interactions between octanoic acid and tyrosine-tRNA ligase from C. lunata suggested protein synthesis inactivation. The essential oil inhibited 51.6% of mycelial growth, and this effect was increased to 75.9% with the addition of adjuvants (i.e., angico gum). The essential oil reduced 76% of the population of D. maidis adults and repelled 50% of the number of D. maidis after 48 h under field conditions. The repellency effect in the field reduced the population of D. maidis adults, transmitters of the stunting complex, by 50%. The results highlight the potential of M. citrifolia as a resistance activator, fungicide, insecticide, and an effective biorational alternative. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecophysiology and Environmental Health: Assessing the Impact of Pollutants on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function)
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15 pages, 1765 KiB  
Article
A Dangerous Couple: Sequential Effect of Phosphorus Flame-Retardant and Polyurethane Decrease Locomotor Activity in Planarian Girardia tigrina
by Dora Bjedov, Rone S. Barbosa, Danielle Palma de Oliveira, Daniel Junqueira Dorta, Maíra Ignacio Sarmento, Renato Almeida Sarmento, Ana L. Patrício Silva and Carlos Gravato
Biology 2024, 13(5), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13050337 - 12 May 2024
Viewed by 1577
Abstract
Understanding the interplay among organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), microplastics, and freshwater organisms is crucial for unravelling the dynamics within freshwater environments and foreseeing the potential impacts of organic pollutants and plastic contamination. For that purpose, the present research assessed the exposure impact of [...] Read more.
Understanding the interplay among organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), microplastics, and freshwater organisms is crucial for unravelling the dynamics within freshwater environments and foreseeing the potential impacts of organic pollutants and plastic contamination. For that purpose, the present research assessed the exposure impact of 10 mg L−1 flame-retardant aluminium diethylphosphinate (ALPI), 10 μg mg−1liver microplastics polyurethane (PU), and the combination of ALPI and PU on the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina. The exposure to both ALPI and PU revealed a sequential effect, i.e., a decrease in locomotor activity, while oxidative stress biomarkers (total glutathione, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, lipid peroxidation) and metabolic responses (cholinesterase activity, electron transport system, and lactate dehydrogenase) remained unaffected. Despite this fact, it was possible to observe that the range of physiological responses in exposed organisms varied, in particular in the cases of the electron transport system, cholinesterase activity, glutathione S-transferase, catalase, and levels of total glutathione and proteins, showing that the energetic costs for detoxification and antioxidant capacity might be causing a lesser amount of energy allocated for the planarian activity. By examining the physiological, behavioural, and ecological responses of planarians to these pollutants, insights can be gained into broader ecosystem-level effects and inform strategies for mitigating environmental risks associated with OPFRs and microplastic pollution in freshwater environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecophysiology and Environmental Health: Assessing the Impact of Pollutants on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function)
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