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A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins

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A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026 | Viewed by 7445

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhijun Tan

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Testing and Evaluation for Aquatic Product Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: natural marine toxins; food safety and risk assessment; detoxification; biotransformation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Jixing Peng

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Testing and Evaluation for Aquatic Product Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: natural marine toxins; isolation and structure elucidation; bioactive constituents and functions; food safety and toxicology; omics technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine biotoxins, also referred to as phycotoxins, are derived from natural phenomena. One prominent manifestation of such natural occurrences is the harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs are characterized by the massive proliferation of phytoplankton within marine ecosystems. Over the last 40 years, the capacity and monitoring efforts to detect harmful species and harmful events have significantly increased, thus increasing the reporting of harmful events and their socio-economic impacts on marine ecosystem and human health.

The incidence of HABs episodes has been on the rise, primarily driven by environmental and climatic conditions, as well as eutrophication. These natural toxins are produced by unicellular microalgae. Through the food chain, they bio-accumulate in various aquatic species, including bivalves, xanthid crabs, and pufferfish. Depending on the amount ingested, these toxins can pose a potential toxicity risk to humans.

Among the aquatic species significantly affected, bivalves are of particular note due to the growing interest in them, which has led to an increase in their production and consumption. Nevertheless, the existing body of knowledge regarding their chemistry, properties, and toxicological modes of action is fragmented and, to some extent, outdated.

For this Special Issue, we invite academic and industry scientists to submit reviews and original and conceptual research articles highlighting the research of the influence mechanism of the biological interactions between bivalves and algae on the formation process of marine biotoxin risks.

Prof. Dr. Zhijun Tan
Dr. Jixing Peng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

harmful algae blooming
risk assessment
toxicity
oxidative stress responses
multi-omics analysis
immune defense response
bivalve

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 573 KB

Open AccessArticle

Toxicity Profile of the Oceanic Pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus in the Eastern Atlantic Area

by Nathália Nocchi, Álvaro Santana-Mayor, Adrián Conde-Díaz, Víctor Hernández-Lopez, Adriana Rodríguez Hernández, Alberto Brito, Ana R. Díaz-Marrero and José J. Fernández

Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(6), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24060195 - 1 Jun 2026

Viewed by 1301

Abstract

In recent years, the pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus has been recorded with unusual frequency in coastal areas of the Canary Islands. The most notable episodes occurred in March and November 2017, when numerous shoals were observed along the coasts of the Western Canary Islands. A toxicological study of these episodes was carried out, analyzing liver, kidney, gonads, skin, and muscle of a representative population. In all toxic samples (33.3% and 41.7% of specimens in March and November 2017, respectively), only the liver extract showed toxicities, using a mouse biological assay (MBA). The toxicological profile was determined by UHPLC-MS-MS, identifying saxitoxin (STX) and tetrodotoxin (TTX) congeners. This analytical methodology was optimized to determine 26 marine toxins. Thus, in the March 2017 episode, the toxicological profile was characterized by the co-occurrence of tetrodotoxins (TTX and 4-epiTTX) and paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) analogues (dcSTX, dcneoSTX, and doSTX); however, STX and neoSTX emerged as the dominant toxins in specimens collected during the November 2017 episode. The results show that L. lagocephalus in the Canary Islands presents a variable and dynamic toxicological profile, strongly influenced by environmental factors. These findings highlight the need for continued monitoring and for analytical approaches capable of capturing this complexity and assessing potential risks to public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins)

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27 pages, 6120 KB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of a Dinophysis cf acuminata Population from a Tidewater Glacier Lagoon in a Temperate Latitude: Applications to Dinophysis Studies

by Patricio A. Díaz, María García-Portela, Gonzalo Álvarez, Francisco Rodríguez, Iván Pérez-Santos, Daniel Varela, Michael Araya, Camila Schwerter, Ángela M. Baldrich, Barbara Cantarero and Beatriz Reguera

Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(3), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24030096 - 28 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1852

Abstract

Dinophysis acuminata, the main agent of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) worldwide, shows a high variability in morphology and toxin content between strains from contrasting habitats. Most frequent uncertainties in morphological discrimination are within the “D. acuminata complex”, but confusion with other species (e.g., D. norvegica, D. fortii) also occurs. Here we describe a unique PTX2-containing population of Dinophysis cf acuminata observed during opportunistic samplings in San Rafael Lagoon (Chilean Patagonia), the only tidewater glacier lagoon remaining in the glacier with the world’s lowest latitude. Dinophysis acuminata was the only Dinophysis species observed during three seasonal surveys in the well-mixed cold (4–7° C) and brackish (salinity 14–15) waters of the lagoon. Cell densities ranged from 500 cells L⁻¹ (winter) to 2800 cells L⁻¹ (summer). Partial sequences of their ITS rDNA aligned them with D. acuminata strains from Europe and North America, and sequences of their stolen plastids 23S rDNA confirmed ciliates of the Mesodinium rubrum + major complex as their prey and plastid source. All these reasons make this lagoon a highly sensitive area and natural laboratory for climate change-related topics and Dinophysis issues related to (i) the effect of long-term exposure of marine fauna to pectenotoxins and (ii) the adaptations of D. cf acuminata to persist in a unique ecosystem with austral water characteristics located in a warm temperate latitude light regime. Results here add knowledge to the biogeography and habitat ranges of D. acuminata and the problems faced to monitor and provide early warning of its distribution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins)

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11 pages, 1215 KB

Open AccessArticle

Tetrodotoxin Oral Film Attenuates Depression in a Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Model in Mice

by Jianlin He, Chao Tang, Siwen Niu, Qingqing Le, Lin Yu and Bihong Hong

Mar. Drugs 2026, 24(3), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/md24030094 - 26 Feb 2026

Viewed by 729

Abstract

Depression remains a major global health challenge, with a significant proportion of patients failing to respond to conventional antidepressants. This study aimed to evaluate the potential antidepressant effects and toxicological profile of a novel tetrodotoxin (TTX) oral film formulation in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to CUMS and treated daily with TTX oral film at doses of 10, 20, and 40 μg/kg, with fluoxetine (18 mg/kg) serving as a positive control. Behavioral assessments, including sucrose preference test, open field test, forced swimming test, elevated plus maze, and novel object recognition, demonstrated that TTX oral film administration alleviated depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and improved cognitive function. Furthermore, TTX oral film treatment restored hippocampal serotonin levels, which were depleted in CUMS mice, and showed no adverse effects on organ indexes after long-term use. Toxicological evaluation through acute toxicity testing revealed an oral LD₅₀ of 919 μg/kg, indicating a substantially improved safety profile compared to pure TTX and a wide therapeutic window. These findings suggest that the TTX oral film possesses significant antidepressant activity with favorable toxicological properties, supporting its potential as a novel and safe treatment for depression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins)

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42 pages, 4695 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

ScillyHAB: A Multi-Disciplinary Survey of Harmful Marine Phytoplankton and Shellfish Toxins in the Isles of Scilly: Combining Citizen Science with State-of-the-Art Monitoring in an Isolated UK Island Territory

by Andrew D. Turner, Karl J. Dean, Adam M. Lewis, David M. Hartnell, Zoe Jenkins, Beth Bear, Amy Mace, Nevena Almeida, Rob van Ree, Kerra Etchells, Issy Tibbs, Patrick Jesenko, Loveday Lewin, Natalie Robey, Nikki Banfield, Shamina Page, George Belsham, Benjamin H. Maskrey and Robert G. Hatfield

Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(12), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23120478 - 15 Dec 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1714

Abstract

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago of islands in the far southwest of the UK which contain numerous beds of wild bivalve molluscs which are recreationally harvested for local consumption. However, the islands have never previously been assessed for the presence of harmful algae and their shellfish toxin metabolites which can cause serious human health impacts. This study sought to address these knowledge gaps through the analysis of seawater and shellfish tissues for microalgae and toxins utilizing portable and lab-based microscopy, nanopore sequencing, chemical analysis and immunoassay kits. The study design was affected by the national COVID-19 lockdown which enforced implementation of citizen-led sampling and in-field microscopy. Microscopy and sequencing approaches led to the confirmation of multiple HAB species of concern, including those potentially responsible for production of neurotoxic and diarrhetic shellfish toxins. A portable microscope was successfully utilized in the field for recognition of microalgae and for early warning of potential shellfish toxicity events. Chemical analysis of cockle, clam and mussel samples confirmed the detection of paralytic, diarrhetic and amnesic shellfish toxins, with an unusual okadaic acid group toxin profile reaching a maximum toxicity of approximately half the regulatory limit as defined by EU law. The Sensoreal Alert Lateral Flow Assay was used to screen and highlight samples containing higher concentrations of DSP toxins. Furthermore, Tetrodotoxin was detected for the first time in the UK in cockle and grooved carpet shells. Multiple saxitoxin analogues were also detected in two echinoderm species, with this providing the first ever report of paralytic shellfish toxins in the spiny starfish, Marthasterias glacialis. The toxin profiles in the two species varied significantly with a dominance of GTX4 in Luidia ciliaris as opposed to a dominance of STX in Marthasterias glacialis. Overall, the study showed that a multi-method assessment of a previously unexplored region within the UK territory contained microalgae and toxins of concern to human health, and that a citizen-led programme could be instigated using portable microscopy and rapid toxin testing to assess the early warning for potentially harmful microalgae and toxins in the region, with confirmatory analysis being conducted to establish actual levels of risk for local consumers of seafood. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins)

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16 pages, 3832 KB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Toxicity of Diol-Estered Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins Across Trophic Levels: Evidence from Caenorhabditis elegans and Mytilus galloprovincialis

by Caihong Chen, Haiyan Wu, Guanchao Zheng, Limin Lu and Zhijun Tan

Mar. Drugs 2025, 23(12), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/md23120459 - 28 Nov 2025

Viewed by 921

Abstract

Prorocentrum lima is a widely distributed and major source of diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs); the ecological impact of diol-estered DSTs (eDSTs) compounds on benthic systems is still inadequate. In this study, the acute toxicity of eDSTs was evaluated in Caenorhabditis elegans, and their accumulation capacity and toxic effects were examined in Mytilus galloprovincialis for an ecological risk assessment. The results indicated that larvae 1 (L1) was more sensitive than larvae 4 (L4) of C. elegans, and the eDSTs in P. lima extract lysate were more toxic than the okadaic acid (OA) standard solution. The lowest LC₅₀ values were 0.293 and 0.469 μg/mL for L1 and L4, respectively. The growth, productivity, and intestinal permeability of C. elegans were impaired, and the effect of P. lima extract lysate on C. elegans was greater than that of the OA standard solution. The total toxin concentration in the digestive gland of mussels reached 3230 μg/kg, with esterified DSTs accounting for 76.7–97.1% of total toxins and inducing marked oxidative stress. Diol-estered DSTs exert direct toxic effects, including oxidative damage and growth inhibition, while exhibiting a high accumulation potential. This study revealed the toxicity of eDSTs, necessitating a focused investigation to comprehensively assess their toxicological impact and ecological risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A ‘One-Health Focus’ on Natural Marine Toxins)

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