Behaviors of minerals in Hijiki plants becoming chlorotic

抄録

Hijiki (Sargassum fusiforme, a brown algae) plants were harvested on the Hime Coast, Kushimoto, Wakayama, Japan, in early April, 2016. The harvested Hijiki plants were classified to “grade A” when normal in appearance and “grade B” when rather discolored.

The sample plants were cut at a length of 10cm along the stalk, and the stalks and leaves were separately lyophilized. Respective samples were ashed in conc HNO₃-conc HClO₄ on an electric heater for a few hours. The concentrations of arsenic (As), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) in the tissues were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The correlative coefficient values of some pairs of elements in grade B plants were higher than those in grade A plants, and the number of pairs of a higher correlative coefficient in grade B plants was more than in grade A plants. The grade B plants becoming chlorotic contained less amount of chlorophyll a and more homogenous concentrations of various elements. The growing conditions of the Hijiki plants and accumulation patterns of those elements were discussed in relation to the warming ocean sea water.