MECHANISM OF INHIBITORY-ACTION OF THE LOCAL-ANESTHETIC TRIMECAINE ON THE GROWTH OF ALGAE (CHLORELLA-VULGARIS)

Using the model compound trimecaine, it was found that algicidal effec ts exhibited by the local anaesthetics of the acetanilide type were ca used by two different mechanisms. The first inhibitory mechanism occur ring at low concentrations of the anaesthetic is connected with the un coupling of the photophosphorylations in algal chloroplasts and is acc ompanied by the enhancement of the oxygen evolving rate in algal photo synthesis. The second mechanism of inhibition of the photosynthesis in algae, taking place at higher concentrations of the anaesthetic, is c onnected with the damaging of the manganese containing protein on the donor side of photosystem 2 and is accompanied by a decrease of the ox ygen evolving rate in algal photosynthesis.