Avaliação da toxicidade de extratos da semente de Moringa oleifera LAM. Frente aos organismos Daphnia magna Straus. E Artemia salina Lench

Abstract

The use of natural coagulants for water treatment has been an alternative increasingly employed in order to avoid possible damage to health and the environment caused by certain chemical coagulants. Moringa oleifera is a multipurpose tree whose seeds have an efficient activity as natural coagulant. However, studies point to a possible toxicity of this extract. Based on this, the objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of three different extracts of M. oleifera (aqueous extract, saline extract of the whole seed and saline extract of the seed without oil) and water treated with the same extracts, against two species of microcrustaceans used as bioindicators of toxicity (Artemia salina and Daphnia magna). In acute toxicity tests of the extracts using D. magna, there was an EC50 of 314.05 mg.L-1 for the saline extract of the whole seed and 346.76 mg.L-1 for the saline extract of the seed without oil. The aqueous extract showed no toxicity even at the highest concentrations (400 to 600 mg.L-1). For the organism A. saline, none of the extracts proved toxic. In the tests performed with water treated with the extracts of M. oleifera, toxicity was found for D. magna in the supernatant fractions (EC50=296.02 mg.L-1) and sedimented (EC50=291.04 mg.L-1) of treated water with the saline extract of the whole seed. For the treated water with the saline extract of the seed without oil, was found toxicity in the supernatant fraction (EC50=351.17 mg.L-1) and the sedimented fraction (EC50=342.32 mg.L-1), which indicates that the toxicity of the extract is not reduced after coagulation/flocculation. In the chronic test performed using D. magna exposed during 21 days to the saline extract of the whole seed of M. oleifera, changes in the evaluated parameters (mortality, fertility and growth) were observed, and as higher the concentration tested, bigger was the toxicity. At the end of the 21 experimental days, there had been a 100% mortality of individuals exposed to higher concentrations (10 and 15 mg.L-1). Furthermore, there was wide variation in fertility between the groups. Based on these results, we can say that the use of high concentrations of the extract of M. oleifera (above 300 mg.L-1) can cause acute damage for D. magna. However in practice, the concentrations used of this coagulant are considerably smaller, ranging mainly between 50 and 150 mg.L-1, according to literature data. Likewise, the dilution that occur in the aquatic environment, hardly provide high concentration of the extract in the water bodies. Based on this, we can say that the use of the extract of M. oleifera can be encouraged, but if used with caution, avoiding high concentrations.