Special Issue "Algal Toxins"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. John P. Berry
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 354/332 Marine Science, Biscayne Bay Campus, FIU, 3000 NE 151st St., North Miami, FL 33181, USA
Website: http://www.fiu.edu/~berryj/
E-Mail: john.berry@fiu.edu
Phone: +1 305 919 4569
Fax: +1 305 919 4030
Interests: cyanobacteria; toxins; bioactive compounds; zebrafish embryo model; natural products

Dear Colleagues,

Marine and freshwater algae are recognized to produce a diverse array of toxic or otherwise bioactive metabolites. These toxic metabolites are globally widespread, and humans and other animals can be exposed to them through both direct routes, including contamination of drinking water and recreational exposure, and indirect routes, including accumulation of these toxins by (and consequent contamination of) various species of fish, shellfish and other animals used as food. Exposure to these toxins has been linked to both acute health effects, including numerous cases of severe illness and mortality, as well as possible long-term health effects, ranging from higher incidence of certain cancers and neurodegenerative disease to prenatal developmental dysfunction. As such algal toxins are emerging as a potentially important human and environmental health concern. Accordingly, a growing number of studies have likewise emerged to address this issue. Areas of investigation particularly include (1) identification and characterization of new toxins; (2) genes and pathways for biosynthesis; (3) bioaccumulation in aquatic food-webs; (4) environmental and ecological factors that contribute to toxin production; (5) methods and technologies for effective detection and monitoring of toxins; (6) epidemiological studies to evaluate the human health impacts of toxins; and (7) strategies and technologies for mitigation of these threats to human health. In addition to their roles as toxins, a number of these bioactive metabolites have also been investigated with respect to possible development as drugs, or otherwise biomedically useful agents, addressing a range of pharmacological targets, as well as other applications with potential commercial importance, including herbicides and pesticides. This special issue will present a relevant sample of current studies investigating these various aspects of algal toxins.

Prof. Dr. John P. Berry
Guest Editor

Related Special Issues in other Journals:

Algal Toxins in Marine Drugs

Submission

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed Open Access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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• cyanobacteria
• dinoflagellates
• diatoms
• harmful algal blooms
• polyketides
• non-ribsomal peptides
• chemical ecology
• ecotoxicology

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Association Between Biotic and Abiotic Parameters and the Occurrence of Potentially Toxic Cyanobacteria in a Brazilian Reservoir
Authors: Lenora N.L. Gomes¹, Silvia M.A. Correia Oliveira², Alessandra Giani¹ and Eduardo von Sperling²
Affiliations: ¹ Departament of Botanic, ICB, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil; E-Mail: leludolf@hotmail.com (L.N.L.G.)
² Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil; E-Mail: eduardo@desa.ufmg.br (E.V.S.)
Abstract: In the past years cyanobacterial blooms occured frequently in the Vargem das Flores reservoir, leading to a serious concern about the production of toxic metabolites. A Three years monitoring program was undertaken to investigate the associations between physical, chemical and biological features and the occurrence of potentially toxic cyanobacteria in this water supply reservoir. According to the results the water column profiles presented a different behavior for each sampling site. The cyanobacteria group followed a seasonal pattern during the three years research period. The group was absent in the dry period, returning after the onset of stratification (warm season). A succession pattern was observed within the cyanobacteria group in the reservoir. The Aphanocapsa genus (picoplankton) was dominant in the last period. PCA analysis showed negative correlation between cyanobacteria and orthophosphate and a higher concentration of phosphorus was observed just before the occurrence of cyanobacteria. It may be assumed that the prevalence of picoplanktonic species is a clear evidence of ecological alterations in the aquatic environment. The preventive and corrective techniques implemented in the watershed basin point out a general improvement of the water quality.