A metabolomic investigation of the effects of metal pollution in oysters Crassostrea hongkongensis

Metal pollution has been of great concern in the estuaries in Southern China. In this study, metabolic differences between oysters Crassostrea hongkongensis from clean and metal-polluted sites were characterized using NMR-based metabolomics. We collected oyster samples from one clean (Jiuzhen) and two metal polluted sites (Baijiao and Fugong). The metal concentrations in oyster gills indicated that both the Baijiao and Fugong sites were severely polluted by several metals, including Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd and Pb. In particular, Cu and Zn were the major contaminants from the Baijiao and Fugong sites. Compared with those oysters from the clean site (JZ), metal pollution in BJ and FG induced disturbances in osmotic regulation and energy metabolism via different metabolic pathways, as indicated by different metabolic biomarkers. This study demonstrates that NMR-based metabolomics is a useful tool for characterizing metabolic responses induced by metal pollution.