Abstract
Cyanobacteria were present on the earth 3.5 billion years ago; since then they have colonized almost all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They produce a high number of bioactive molecules, among which some are cyanotoxins. Cyanobacterial growth at high densities, forming blooms, is increasing in extension and frequency, following anthropogenic activities and climate changes, giving rise to some concern for human health and animal life exposed to cyanotoxins. Numerous cases of lethal poisonings have been associated with cyanotoxins ingestion in wild animal and livestock. In humans few episodes of lethal or severe human poisonings have been recorded after acute or short-term exposure, but the repeated/chronic exposure to low cyanotoxin levels remains a critical issue. The properties of the most frequently detected cyanotoxins (namely, microcystins, nodularins, cylindrospermopsin and neurotoxins) are here critically reviewed, describing for each toxin the available information on producing organisms, biosynthesis/genetic and occurrence, with a focus on the toxicological profile (including kinetics, acute systemic toxicity, mechanism and mode of action, local effects, repeated toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity; human health effects and epidemiological studies; animal poisoning) with the derivation of health-based values and considerations on the risks for human health.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1049-1130 |
| Number of pages | 82 |
| Journal | Archives of Toxicology |
| Volume | 91 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 1 2017 |
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Keywords
- Cyanobacteria
- Cyanotoxins
- Mechanism of action
- Toxicological risk assessment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Toxicology
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Cite this
Cyanotoxins : producing organisms, occurrence, toxicity, mechanism of action and human health toxicological risk evaluation. / Buratti, Franca M.; Manganelli, Maura; Vichi, Susanna; Stefanelli, Mara; Scardala, Simona; Testai, Emanuela; Funari, Enzo.
In: Archives of Toxicology, Vol. 91, No. 3, 01.03.2017, p. 1049-1130.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Cyanotoxins
T2 - producing organisms, occurrence, toxicity, mechanism of action and human health toxicological risk evaluation
AU - Buratti, Franca M.
AU - Manganelli, Maura
AU - Vichi, Susanna
AU - Stefanelli, Mara
AU - Scardala, Simona
AU - Testai, Emanuela
AU - Funari, Enzo
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - Cyanobacteria were present on the earth 3.5 billion years ago; since then they have colonized almost all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They produce a high number of bioactive molecules, among which some are cyanotoxins. Cyanobacterial growth at high densities, forming blooms, is increasing in extension and frequency, following anthropogenic activities and climate changes, giving rise to some concern for human health and animal life exposed to cyanotoxins. Numerous cases of lethal poisonings have been associated with cyanotoxins ingestion in wild animal and livestock. In humans few episodes of lethal or severe human poisonings have been recorded after acute or short-term exposure, but the repeated/chronic exposure to low cyanotoxin levels remains a critical issue. The properties of the most frequently detected cyanotoxins (namely, microcystins, nodularins, cylindrospermopsin and neurotoxins) are here critically reviewed, describing for each toxin the available information on producing organisms, biosynthesis/genetic and occurrence, with a focus on the toxicological profile (including kinetics, acute systemic toxicity, mechanism and mode of action, local effects, repeated toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity; human health effects and epidemiological studies; animal poisoning) with the derivation of health-based values and considerations on the risks for human health.
AB - Cyanobacteria were present on the earth 3.5 billion years ago; since then they have colonized almost all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They produce a high number of bioactive molecules, among which some are cyanotoxins. Cyanobacterial growth at high densities, forming blooms, is increasing in extension and frequency, following anthropogenic activities and climate changes, giving rise to some concern for human health and animal life exposed to cyanotoxins. Numerous cases of lethal poisonings have been associated with cyanotoxins ingestion in wild animal and livestock. In humans few episodes of lethal or severe human poisonings have been recorded after acute or short-term exposure, but the repeated/chronic exposure to low cyanotoxin levels remains a critical issue. The properties of the most frequently detected cyanotoxins (namely, microcystins, nodularins, cylindrospermopsin and neurotoxins) are here critically reviewed, describing for each toxin the available information on producing organisms, biosynthesis/genetic and occurrence, with a focus on the toxicological profile (including kinetics, acute systemic toxicity, mechanism and mode of action, local effects, repeated toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity; human health effects and epidemiological studies; animal poisoning) with the derivation of health-based values and considerations on the risks for human health.
KW - Cyanobacteria
KW - Cyanotoxins
KW - Mechanism of action
KW - Toxicological risk assessment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85009909939&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85009909939&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00204-016-1913-6
DO - 10.1007/s00204-016-1913-6
M3 - Review article
C2 - 28110405
AN - SCOPUS:85009909939
VL - 91
SP - 1049
EP - 1130
JO - Archiv fur Toxikologie
JF - Archiv fur Toxikologie
SN - 0003-9446
IS - 3
ER -