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Xiong Y, Shi Q, Li J, Sy ND, Schlenk D, Gan J. Methylation and Demethylation of Emerging Contaminants in Plants. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1998-2006. [PMID: 38240245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Many contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) have reactive functional groups and may readily undergo biotransformations, such as methylation and demethylation. These transformations have been reported to occur during human metabolism and wastewater treatment, leading to the propagation of CECs. When treated wastewater and biosolids are used in agriculture, CECs and their transformation products (TPs) are introduced into soil-plant systems. However, little is known about whether transformation cycles, such as methylation and demethylation, take place in higher plants and hence affect the fate of CECs in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we explored the interconversion between four common CECs (acetaminophen, diazepam, methylparaben, and naproxen) and their methylated or demethylated TPs in Arabidopsis thaliana cells and whole wheat seedlings. The methylation-demethylation cycle occurred in both plant models with demethylation generally taking place at a greater degree than methylation. The transformation rate of demethylation or methylation was dependent on the bond strength of R-CH3, with demethylation of methylparaben or methylation of acetaminophen being more pronounced. Although not explored in this study, these interconversions may exert influences on the behavior and biological activity of CECs, particularly in terrestrial ecosystems. The study findings demonstrated the prevalence of transformation cycles between CECs and their methylated or demethylated TPs in higher plants, contributing to a more complete understanding of risks of CECs in the human-wastewater-soil-plant continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxin Xiong
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Qingyang Shi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Jun Li
- School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, Chinese University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Nathan Darlucio Sy
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Daniel Schlenk
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Jay Gan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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Alderete LS, Sauvêtre A, Chiron S, Tadić Đ. Investigating the Transformation Products of Selected Antibiotics and 17 α-Ethinylestradiol under Three In Vitro Biotransformation Models for Anticipating Their Relevance in Bioaugmented Constructed Wetlands. TOXICS 2023; 11:508. [PMID: 37368608 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11060508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The degradation of three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ofloxacin) and one synthetic hormone (17 α-ethinylestradiol) was investigated in three in-vitro biotransformation models (i.e., pure enzymes, hairy root, and Trichoderma asperellum cultures) for anticipating the relevance of the formation of transformation products (TPs) in constructed wetlands (CWs) bioaugmented with T. asperellum fungus. The identification of TPs was carried out employing high-resolution mass spectrometry, using databases, or by interpreting MS/MS spectra. An enzymatic reaction with β-glucosidase was also used to confirm the presence of glycosyl-conjugates. The results showed synergies in the transformation mechanisms between these three models. Phase II conjugation reactions and overall glycosylation reactions predominated in hairy root cultures, while phase I metabolization reactions (e.g., hydroxylation and N-dealkylation) predominated in T. asperellum cultures. Following their accumulation/degradation kinetic profiles helped in determining the most relevant TPs. Identified TPs contributed to the overall residual antimicrobial activity because phase I metabolites can be more reactive and glucose-conjugated TPs can be transformed back into parent compounds. Similar to other biological treatments, the formation of TPs in CWs is of concern and deserves to be investigated with simple in vitro models to avoid the complexity of field-scale studies. This paper brings new findings on the emerging pollutants metabolic pathways established between T. asperellum and model plants, including extracellular enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Sosa Alderete
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology and Health, INBIAS-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta Nacional 36 Km 601, Río Cuarto 5800, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrés Sauvêtre
- HSM, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34090 Montpellier, France
- HSM, University Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, CNRS, IRD, 30100 Ales, France
| | - Serge Chiron
- HSM, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Đorđe Tadić
- HSM, University Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34090 Montpellier, France
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Tadić Đ, Gramblicka M, Mistrik R, Bayona JM. Systematic identification of trimethoprim metabolites in lettuce. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:3121-3135. [PMID: 35141763 PMCID: PMC8934764 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-03943-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotics are some of the most widely used drugs. Their release in the environment is of great concern since their consumption is a major factor for antibiotic resistance, one of the most important threats to human health. Their occurrence and fate in agricultural systems have been extensively investigated in recent years. Yet whilst their biotic and abiotic degradation pathways have been thoroughly researched, their biotransformation pathways in plants are less understood, such as in case of trimethoprim. Although trimethoprim has been reported in the environment, its fate in higher plants still remains unknown. A bench-scale experiment was performed and 30 trimethoprim metabolites were identified in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), of which 5 belong to phase I and 25 to phase II. Data mining yielded a list of 1018 ions as possible metabolite candidates, which was filtered to a final list of 87 candidates. Molecular structures were assigned for 19 compounds, including 14 TMP metabolites reported for the first time. Alongside well-known biotransformation pathways in plants, additional novel pathways were suggested, namely, conjugation with sesquiterpene lactones, and abscisic acid as a part of phase II of plant metabolism. The results obtained offer insight into the variety of phase II conjugates and may serve as a guideline for studying the metabolization of other chemicals that share a similar molecular structure or functional groups with trimethoprim. Finally, the toxicity and potential contribution of the identified metabolites to the selective pressure on antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial communities via residual antimicrobial activity were evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Đorđe Tadić
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michal Gramblicka
- HighChem Ltd., Leškova 11, 811 04, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Josep Maria Bayona
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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Tadić Đ, Gramblicka M, Mistrik R, Flores C, Piña B, Bayona JM. Elucidating biotransformation pathways of ofloxacin in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 260:114002. [PMID: 31991361 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics can be uptaken by plants from soil desorption or directly from irrigation water, but their metabolization pathways in plants are largely unknown. In this paper, an analytical workflow based on high-resolution mass spectrometry was applied for the systematic identification of biotransformation products of ofloxacin in lettuce. The targeted metabolites were selected by comparing the mass chromatograms of exposed with control samples using an advanced spectra-processing method (Fragment Ion Search). The innovative methodology presented allowed us to identify a total of 11 metabolites, including 5 ofloxacin metabolites that are being reported for the first time in plants. Accordingly, major transformation pathways were proposed revealing insight into how ofloxacin and related chemicals are metabolized in lettuce. Furthermore, the influence of biotransformation on potential residual antimicrobial activity of identified compounds was discussed. Human exposure to antibiotics at doses below the minimum inhibitory concentrations is crucial in human risk assessment, including food ingestion; however, in the case of ofloxacin presented results reveal that plant metabolites should also be considered so as not to underestimate their risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Đorđe Tadić
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michal Gramblicka
- HighChem Ltd., Leškova 11, 811 04, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Cintia Flores
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory/Organic Contaminants, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, 08034, Spain
| | - Benjamin Piña
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Bayona
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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