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Toxicity of NSAID drug (paracetamol) to nontarget organism—Nostoc muscorum

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Abstract

Due to many folds increase in application of human and veterinary medicines, pharmaceuticals, a new category of pollutants, have emerged in our environment. They exist as residues in rivers, sewage effluents, streams, surface, ground, and potable water. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is one such drug that is used as an antipyretic and analgesic medicine. It is a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) and is easily available in the market because no medical prescription is necessary for its purchase and use. Paracetamol remains physiologically active even after their expiry period. Their detection in the environment in bioactive form has resulted in adverse effects on nontarget species. To determine the effect of paracetamol on aquatic photosynthetic organic (Cyanobacteria—Nostoc muscorum), present study was performed. Paracetamol (25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 75 mg/L, 100, 125, and 150 mg/L) exposure showed toxic responses on the test organism by generating oxidative stress (MDA, H2O2, O2.-). Paracetamol caused a significant decrease in growth of cyanobacteria and showed EC50 113.68 mg/L after the 6th day of treatment. Photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoid, and phycobiliprotein) decreased with paracetamol increase. Antioxidant enzymatic (SOD, CAT, APX, GST, and GR) and osmolyte (Proline) also increased with increase in paracetamol to counteract the oxidative stress.

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Acknowledgements

S. Fatima sincerely thanks CSIR (09/446 (0186)/2017 EMR-I) for JRF fellowship. Authors are thankful to Culture Collection Centres of India IARI for providing the strain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central Univ), New Delhi, 110025, India

    Samreen Fatima, Nida Asif, Rakhshan Ahmad & Tasneem Fatma

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  1. Samreen Fatima
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  2. Nida Asif
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  3. Rakhshan Ahmad
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  4. Tasneem Fatma
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Correspondence to Tasneem Fatma.

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Fatima, S., Asif, N., Ahmad, R. et al. Toxicity of NSAID drug (paracetamol) to nontarget organism—Nostoc muscorum. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 35208–35216 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09802-0

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