Microcystis is the dominant algal bloom genus in Lake Taihu. Thus, controlling the recruitment and growth of Microcystis is the most crucial aspect of solving the problem of algal blooms. Different concentrations (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 g L(-1)) of tea extract were used to treat barrels of lake water at the recruitment stage of cyanobacteria. There was an inhibitory effect on algal growth in all treatment groups. The inhibitory effect on cyanobacteria was stronger than on other algae. The metabolic activity of cells in the treatment groups was significantly enhanced compared to the control, as an adaptation to the stress caused by tea polyphenols. The photosynthetic activity diminished in the treatment groups and was barely detected in the 0.05 and 0.1 g L(-1) treatments. The levels of reactive oxygen species increased substantially in treated cells with the algal cells experiencing oxidative damage. The effect of tea on zooplankton was also studied. The number of Bosmina fatalis individuals did not change significantly in the 0.025 and 0.05 g L(-1) treatments. These results suggested that the application of tea extracts, during the recruitment stage of blue-green algae, suppressed the recruitment and growth of cyanobacteria, thus offering the potential to prevent cyanobacterial blooms.
Keywords: Algal inhibition; Cyanobacteria; Microcystis; Pilot experiment; Taihu; Tea.