Percorrer por autor "Casini, Silvia"
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- Correlation between trace element concentrations in the blood of female hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and egg quality in nesting populations of São Tomé IslandPublication . Morão, Inês; Simões, Tiago; Busom Casado, Roger; Vieira, Sara; Ferreira-Airaud, Betânia; Caliani, Ilaria; Di Noi, Agata; Casini, Silvia; Fossi, Maria C.; Lemos, Marco F.L.; Novais, Sara C.Metals and metalloids can pose a significant threat to sea turtles, as these contaminants tend to accumulate in their bodies over time, due to their long lifespans and varied feeding habits. São Tomé and Príncipe's archipelago hosts the last remaining rookery for hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the region. The study aimed to determine the levels of metals and metalloids accumulated by this population and to investigate their possible genotoxicity in nesting females' blood as well as potential effects on their eggs in terms of morphometric characteristics and the quality of their lipidic reserves, essential for embryo development. Higher levels of Hg were found to be correlated with increased “lobed-shaped nuclei” in erythrocytic count, suggesting genotoxicity effects in this population. Higher levels of Se were correlated with thicker and heavier eggshells, while Pb levels were associated with the reduction of the egg's diameter. Metal contamination in females' blood significantly affected yolk polar fatty acids. Significant negative correlations were found between general metal contamination (PLI) and saturated fatty acids (SFA), while positive correlations were observed for essential omega-6 fatty acids (n6), mostly influenced by Cu, Fe, and Hg concentrations. This suggests that these omega-6 fatty acids are being synthesized from SFA, potentially indicating stress response by metal exposure. The present results point to some potential alterations in the normal embryonic development of these turtle eggs, influenced by metal contamination, which should raise some concerns about the future of this critically endangered species and call for additional conservation efforts in the region.
- Discriminative influence of persistent organic pollutants on nesting green sea turtles through genotoxicity, oxidative stress and reproductive related markersPublication . Morão, Inês; Muñoz-Arnanz, Juan; Simões, Tiago; Bartalini, Alice; Vieira, Sara; Ferreira-Airaud, Betânia; Caliani, Ilaria; Noi, Agata Di; Casini, Silvia; Fossi, Maria Cristina; Jiménez, Begoña; Lemos, Marco; Novais, SaraPersistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochloride pesticides (OCPs) affect biodiversity by bioaccumulating through food webs, impacting marine organisms like endangered sea turtles. This study represents the first evaluation of these contaminants in sea turtles nesting in São Tomé and Príncipe. The main goal was to evaluate PCBs, PBDEs and OCPs levels in sea turtles' blood and investigate their potential effects on erythrocytes’ nuclear abnormalities (ENAs) and oxidative stress and reproduction-related gene expression. The relative mean abundance for contaminants was ΣPCBs > ΣOCPs > ΣPBDEs. Contaminants such as PCB-28, PCB-138, PCB-153, PCB-180 and p,p’-DDE were associated with ENAs, suggesting potential genetic instability and cellular disruption. PCB-126, PBDE-100, and o,p’-DDD correlated with antioxidant and detoxification genes (glrx3, gst, txnip, txnrd2, and gclc), suggesting oxidative stress responses. The reproduction-related gene est17 was correlated with α and β-HCH, potentially affecting ovary development. Correlations between ace2 and various PCBs, PBDEs, and o,p'-DDD suggest disruptions in follicular development and egg transport. Embryo development genes (hoxA1 and tuba1) were associated with PBDE-154, PBDE100 and o,p’-DDD, suggesting possible embryonic alterations. These findings highlight the impacts of POPs on nesting female green turtles in São Tomé, threatening this endangered population.