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Toxins
Special Issues
Exploration of Toxins from Marine Organisms
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Exploration of Toxins from Marine Organisms

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine and Freshwater Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1256

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Pedro M. Costa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA, 2825 Caparica, Portugal
2. UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA, 2825 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: toxicology and environmental toxicology; aquatic biology; genotoxicology; marine toxins and biotechnology; toxicopathology; molecular toxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Toxins are high-value bioactives with multiple applications, from more efficient and safer drugs to green pesticides. Quite naturally, from saxitoxins to conotoxins and from cnidarian nematocysts to the first known venomous crustacean, the oceans’ vast and ancient biodiversity mirrors an equally vast variety of toxins and venom systems, most of which remain unknown or underexplored. Even though marine bioprospecting still results in a narrow record of toxin-derived approved drugs, like the painkiller Prialt and the anti-cancer drug Trabectedin, biotechnology and more fundamental evolution or ecophysiology-driven research have been revealing novel marine toxins that are often structurally unique, potent and specific towards molecular targets.

This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research on the discovery and characterization of marine toxins from all prokaryote and eukaryote taxa. We welcome reports on new species secreting toxins and their venom systems and studies investigating the toxicological effects of these compounds, their mechanisms of action and their applications in biotechnology, in vivo, in vitro and in silico. Contributions may also explore advanced analytical techniques for detecting and quantifying marine toxins, including ‘omics’, as well as their impact in ecosystem and human health. We welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews that align with these themes.

Dr. Pedro M. Costa
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 double-blind 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.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

  • marine toxins
  • bioactives
  • drug discovery
  • toxicology
  • bioprospecting
  • blue biotechnology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1850 KB  
Article
Rapid Detection of Saxitoxin Using a Nucleic Acid Aptamer Biosensor Based on Graphene Oxide as a Fluorescence Quencher
by Yi Jiao, Liqing Yang, Junping Hao, Yuhang Wen, Jianhua Wang, Hengchao E, Zhiyong Zhao, Yufeng Chen and Xianli Yang
Toxins 2025, 17(9), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17090430 - 28 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1057
Abstract
Saxitoxin (STX) is a toxin with paralyzing and lethal properties, necessitating the development of a simple analytical method. This study developed a nucleic acid aptamer biosensor using graphene oxide (GO) as a fluorescence quencher for STX detection. GO was combined with M30-f, an [...] Read more.
Saxitoxin (STX) is a toxin with paralyzing and lethal properties, necessitating the development of a simple analytical method. This study developed a nucleic acid aptamer biosensor using graphene oxide (GO) as a fluorescence quencher for STX detection. GO was combined with M30-f, an STX nucleic acid aptamer modification with 5-carboxyfluorescein, which can produce fluorescence absorption under the conditions of an excitation wavelength of 408 nm and emission wavelength of 515 nm. Based on the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer, the fluorescence of M30-f was quenched. In the presence of STX, M30-f specifically binds to STX and dissociates from the GO surface, thereby restoring fluorescence. The STX content can be quantitatively detected through differences in fluorescence absorption. The influence of ultrasonic time on the fluorescence quenching ability of GO was investigated. The aqueous solution of graphene oxide, 30GO, optimized by ultrasound treatment for a duration of 30 min, demonstrated excellent fluorescence quenching capability. 30GO was analyzed utilizing various characterization techniques, including SEM, FT-IR, UV, XPS, XRD, AFM, and contact angle measurements. The methodological validation showed that the established STX sensor exhibits excellent linearity within a concentration range of 10–100,000 ng/L, with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.098 μg/L. In addition, the results further demonstrated the sensor’s high specificity for detecting neurotoxic shellfish toxin STX. The recovery rate for clam samples ranged from 89.12% to 104.71%, while that for oyster samples ranged from 91.20% to 109.65%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) all below 3%. This aptamer sensor is characterized by its simplicity, high sensitivity, and broad detection range, providing significant technical support for advancing marine biotoxin research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploration of Toxins from Marine Organisms)
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