J. Phytol. Res. 29 (1 & 2) : 49-54, 2016 ISSN 0970-5767

CYANOBACTERIAL BIODIVERSITY OF RIVER IN

LEEENA CHOUBISA and ANURADHA DUBEY* Department of Botany, School of Science & Technology, Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, Kota, Rajasthan. * Corresponding author : E-mail: [email protected]

Chambal river is the only perennial river of Rajasthan which is used for drinking, irrigation and power generation. The river hosts excellent flora and fauna of which freshwater flora is of much importance because of its basic position in the food chain. Only few research reports are available on cyanobacteria of in Rajasthan. In present scenario some more documentation of cyanobacterial biodiversity is required for further research.

Keywords: Bioassessment; biodiversity; cyanobacteria; phytoplanktons.

Introduction Rajasthan is a land of desert with very small holds a sacred position for the people of area covered by rivers. Chambal river, a Kota with a holy name ‘Maa tributary of River, is the only Charmanayavati' 2 (Fig3)2. Besides being the perennial river that originates at near lifeline of Kota city, Chambal River is also Janapav temple in . Flowing rich in aquatic flora and fauna including the in a northerly direction through M.P., it mugger and . enters Rajasthan at Chaurasigarh Fort where Due to use of its water for industrial it flow in north – east direction1. It again purpose and colonization on its bank, the flows through M.P. before joining the river gets the industrial effluents and sewage Yamuna river in U.P. Chambal river forms water discharged into it. Most of the various deep picturesque gorges during its research work has been targeted on water course that add scenic beauty to it. In stretch pollution and water quality of Chambal of 96 km in Rajasthan, it flows through River. But a very stray literature is available Chittorgarh, Kota and Dholpur districts. The on phytoplankton diversity of Chambal river water is used for industrial purpose, River, hence this paper is an attempt to drinking, recreational activities, electricity review the works done on cyanobacterial generation and irrigation through four dams biodiversity of Chambal river. - , Rana Pratap Sagar Cyanobacteria- Cyanobacteria are the most Dam, and primitive, cosmopolitan, thallophytic, constructed on it during its long course (Fig. photosynthetic, prokaryotic organisms, 1 & 2)2. The river has derived its name from classified under phylum alga which came ‘Charmanayavati’ and with religious beliefs into existence almost 3.5 billion years ago.

49 50 Choubisa & Dubey

Fig. 1 Course of Chambal River Fig. 2 Various dams constructed on Chambal river

Fig. 3 Chambal River

The evidence of their origin can be traced never found in their life cycle6. They show through carbon isotopic data and study of morphological diversity and may occur in microfossils which states their dominance variety of morphological forms. They can be during Precambrian period3,4. These are the unicellular like Synechocystis, can occur in most successful organisms that are in form of trichome (chain of cells) like existence for billions of years and are still Oscillatoria, or filament ( chain of cells exploiting every possible extreme of enclosed in a gelatinous sheath) like habitats5. Cyanobacterial cells contain Phormidium which can be branched as in chlorophyll- a, beta carotene, c- Scytonema or colonial as in Merismopedia, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin and c- Microcystis4. They are also known as ‘blue- phycoerythrin with membrane bound green algae’ because of the bluish green nucleus and plastids lacking (prokaryotic colour imparted by dominant phycocyanin cell structure). Motile reproductive cells are pigment to them7. J. Phytol. Res. 29 (1 & 2) : 49-55, 2016 51

Because of their cosmopolitan (bryophyte), Anabaena azollae – Azolla nature, cyanobacteria are found in variety of (pteridophyte), Nostoc – Cycas habitats from freshwater to marine, (gymnosperm), Nostoc – Gunnera planktonic to benthic, acidic to alkaline, hot (angiosperm), Nostoc & Anabaena – rice water to soil, desert to snow7. Cyanobacteria fields and even with other group of algae like Synechococcus are even able to grow at ‘diatoms’. temperature up to 73 ̊C -74 ̊C 8,4. Central vacuole is absent in cells but to Unique in its Kind planktonic forms buoyancy is provided by Cyanobacteria possess some characteristic pseudovacuoles comprised of gas vesicles features that make them unique4,9,10,3 . hence making them float that can result in a) They are the only oxygenic phototrophic formation of surface blooms. Bloom prokaryotes which can perform oxygen forming cyanobacteria can discolour the evolving photosynthesis through entire water body and release a variety of photosynthetic pigments diffused in the toxins which may be neurotoxins, entire cytoplasm (chloroplasts being hepatotoxins or cytotoxins detrimental to absent). They play a key role in global human health and fishes hence making the carbon cycles through assimilation of water unpotable. Major bloom forming taxa carbon and oxygenic photosynthesis. are Anabaena, Microcystis and Their chief reserve food is Aphanizomenon, others being Oscillatoria cyanophycean starch. and Spirulina11,9,12. b) They are closely related to bacteria in Importance evolution. Their cell wall is similar to Cyanobacteria play important role in Gram negative bacteria containing ecosystem and have multiple uses in the amino sugars and amino acids. Cell wall biotechnology. These are the first oxygenic is enveloped with mucilaginous sheath photosynthetic organisms that made today’s secreted by cell membrane in some aerobic environmrent to live in by releasing genera. oxygen. Cyanobacteria like Nostoc c) They are the only algae that can fix commune, Spirulina, Arthrospira, atmospheric dinitrogen. This function Aphanizomenon can be used as nutrient can be attributed to specialized thick source, health supplement and as animal walled cells called ‘heterocysts’ feed. Being a rich source of protein and provided with nodular thickenings vitamin B 12, Spirulina tablets are commonly present in some of the genera which being sold in market. Arthrospira extracts provide anoxygenic environment for the can be used in cosmetics due to moisturizing action of nitrogenase enzyme, eg. effects. They are also used in sewage Nostoc, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, disposal and wastewater treatment by the Gloeotricha. supply of oxygen required by bacteria for d) They have a capacity to form symbiotic oxidative breakdown as done by Nostoc, association with a variety of eukaryotic Scenedesmus, Anabaena . Because of their organisms including plants and also with nitrogen fixing capacity, Aulosira non photosynthetic organisms like fungi fertillisima, Nostoc, Anabaena doliolum are (in form of lichens), sponges, ascidians excellent biofertilizers thereby playing and corals. These associations can be role in increasing the soil fertility. best exemplified by Nostoc - Sphagnum Cyanobacteria may be used for production 52 Choubisa & Dubey

of secondary metabolites and bioenergy Generally, an alga maintains dissolved production12,3. oxygen (DO) and aerobic environment of Free floating, unattached water body through photosynthesis photosynthetic micro-organisms are together necessary for bacterial decomposition of known as phytoplanktons. Their growth is organic matter and respiration of aquatic affected by temperature, light and fauna13. DO values of 4.3 – 14.59 mg/L nutrients13,14. In an aquatic ecosystem have been reported in Chambal river by phytoplanktons are the primary producers, many workers17, 18, 19, 20. the estimate of which can be used as water Cyanobacterial Biodiversity quality indicator15. Being easily available, Biodiversity, also known as biological cheap in use, more convincing and diversity, can be defined as variation among informative, algae are used as species and habitats of living organisms be it bioindicators16. Changes in water quality of at gene level; species level or at ecosystem aquatic system can be studied through level. Three types of biodiversity are known bioassessment14. Most of the contribution – α diversity (local), β diversity (turnover) to organic carbon made available to and γ diversity (regional). In general α in the aquatic food web is done diversity is the diversity of life forms within by phytoplanktons as they play a key a habitat21. Some workers have studied the role in global carbon cycle through cyanobacterial biodiversity of Chambal assimilation of carbon and oxygenic River in past years along with its water photosynthesis3. quality.

Table 1. Cyanobacterial Biodiversity of Chambal River in Rajasthan

S. No. Name of Genera & Species 1. Anabaena sp. 2. Aphanocapsa sp. 3. Arthrospira sp. 4. Calothrix sp. 5. Chroococcus turgidis 6. C. disperses 7. Gloeocapsa sp. 8. Lyngbya sp. 9. Merismopedia tenuissima 10. M. glauca 11. M. elegans 12. Microcystis aeruginosa 13. M. lamelliformis 14. M. robusta 15. Nostoc sp. 16. Oscillatoria proboscida 17. O. princeps 18. O. tenuis 19. Phormidium sp. 20. Spirulina major 21. S. sublitissima J. Phytol. Res. 29 (1 & 2) : 49-55, 2016 53

Bhatnagar and Bhardwaj (2013 b)17 References reported total 13 genera and 21 species of 1. Kulshrestha S K (2005), Biodiversity cyanobacteria during their study. Genera of Tropical Aquatic Ecosystems. that were very common are Merismopedia, Anmol Publications. Oscillatoria and Microcystis. In an another 2. http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/raj study conducted by Bhatnagar and Bhardwaj asthan/rivers/ (2013 a)22 at Kota Barrage constructed on 3. Whitton B A (2012), Ecology of Chambal river, total 10 genera and 18 cyanobacteria II: Their Diversity in species were reported by them both in Space and Time (eds), Springer upstream and downstream of the river. Science & Business Media. According to authors, cyanobacteria showed 4. Lee RE (2008), Phycology. Cambridge dominance during summer season. They University Press. also investigated Microcystis aeruginosa 5. Dodds WK and Whiles MR (2011), and Osillatoria sp. in downstream of river as Freshwater ecology: concepts and pollution tolearant genera. environmental applications of Cyanobacterial diversity was also limnology. Academic press. studied at and 6. Smith GM (1950), Freshwater algae Chambal river by Gaur et al. (2014)18. of United States, MG Grew Hill. Co. They reported 5 genera- Oscillatoria NewYork. sp., Microcystis sp., Phormidium sp., 7. Smith GM (1994), Manual of Nostoc sp., Anabaena sp. of common Phycology: An Introduction to the occurrence. Algae and their Biology. Scientific On the basis of research work done by these Publishers. authors, all the reported genera 8 . Langford TEL (2001), Thermal and species of cyanobacteria are enlisted discharges and pollution. Encyclopedia in table 1. of Ocean Sciences. Academic Press. A wide variety of taxa of 2933-2940. cyanobacteria have been reported in 9. Sharma TA (2013), Handbook of Chambal River. On the basis of the available Cyanobacteria. CRC Press. literature studied 21 species of 13 different 10. Whitton BA and Potts M (2002), The genera are known to occur in such an Ecology of Cyanobacteria: Their elaborate freshwater river system of Diversity in Time and Space. Kluwer Rajasthan. These versatile photosynthesizers Academic Publishers. are important economically and may be 11. Moss B (2010), Ecology of fresh utilized for SCP, biofuel production etc. waters: a view for the twenty-first There is a requirement of their further century. John Wiley & Sons. documentation to be used commercially. 12. Thajuddin N and Subramanian G With the rising effects of global warming (2005), Cyanobacterial biodiversity and temperature changes, there is a possible and potential applications in risk of loss of biodiversity. Therefore, there biotechnology. Current Science 89(1) is a need to study cyanobacterial flora of 47-57. Chambal River and protect the 13. Palmer CM (1980), Algae and water cyanobacterial biodiversity in the present pollution: An illustrated manual on the scenario. identification, significance, and 54 Choubisa & Dubey

control of algae in water supplies and Quality Assessment in Relation to in polluted water. Castle House Trophic Status of the Rana Pratap Publications. Sagar Dam and the Chambal River 14. Smith IR (1992), Hydroclimate: The (Rajasthan) . World Journal of Influence of Water Movement in Environmental Biosciences 3(1) 19-33. Freshwater Ecology. Elsevier Applied 19. Gupta N, Nafees SM, Jain MK and Science. Kalpana S (2011), Physico-Chemical 15. Gupta PK (2007), Methods in assessment of water quality of river environmental analysis: water, soil Chambal in Kota city area of and air. Agrobios. Rajasthan State (India). Rasayan 16. Lata Dora S, Maiti SK, Tiwari RK and Journal of Chemistry 4 686-692. Anshumali A (2010), Algae as an 20. Saksena DN, Garg RK, and Rao RJ indicator of river water pollution–A (2008), Water quality and pollution review. International Conference on status of Chambal river in National Environment,Energy and Development Chambal sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh. (from Stockholm to Copenhagen and Journal of Environmental Biology beyond). The Bioscan 2 413-422. 29(5) 701-710. 17. Bhatnagar M and Bhardwaj N (2013b), 21. Ricklefs RE and Miller GL (1999), Biodiversity of algal flora in River Ecology, W.H. Freeman & Co. Chambal at Kota, Rajasthan. Nature 22. Bhatnagar M and Bhardwaj N (2013a), Environment and Pollution Algal biodiversity status in Chambal Technology 12(3) 547-549. river at Kota Barrage, Rajasthan. 18. Gaur KS, Sharma V, Sharma MS, Journal of Experimental Biology & Modi R and Verma BK (2014), Water Agricultural Sciences 1(2S) 131-138.