Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) as a potential anti-stress agent: Counteracting cellular and physiological changes by sodium lauryl sulphate in Mytilus galloprovincialis

The present study was prompted by an interest in understanding the potentially beneficial effects of bergamot peel extract on the cellular and physiological performance of appropriate aquatic model organisms subjected to daily environmental challenges, namely pollution. In this regard, specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis were exposed to Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (0.01 mg/L), an extract of bergamot peels (5 mg/L), and a solution of the two (SLS + BRG), for fourteen days. The immune response was evaluated by assessing the ability of haemocyte cells to engulf foreign elements in conjunction with the gene expression of γ-actin, which plays a key role in cytoskeletal rearrangement. The physiological response was analysed through the analysis of cell volume regulation (RVD assay) in digestive gland cells and cytotoxicity assays (Neutral red and Trypan blue) on both cell populations, which exhibited notable alterations. In addition, the gene expression of genes involved in antioxidant activity, including Cu/ZnSOD, MnSOD, Hsp70, and CYP4Y1, was evaluated. Significant differences were observed between the control (CTR) and treated groups, with a consistent trend evident in the CTR and BRG groups, which exhibited a similar pattern to the SLS-treated groups. In contrast, the groups treated with the combination of the two compounds (SLS + BRG) demonstrated a recovery.