scholarly journals Marine Neurotoxins’ Effects on Environmental and Human Health: An OMICS Overview

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Sophie Guillotin ◽  
Nicolas Delcourt

Harmful algal blooms (HAB), and the consequent release of toxic metabolites, can be responsible for seafood poisoning outbreaks. Marine wildlife can accumulate these toxins throughout the food chain, which presents a threat to consumers’ health. Some of these toxins, such as saxitoxin (STX), domoic acid (DA), ciguatoxin (CTX), brevetoxin (BTX), tetrodotoxin (TTX), and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), cause severe neurological symptoms in humans. Considerable information is missing, however, notably the consequences of toxin exposures on changes in gene expression, protein profile, and metabolic pathways. This information could lead to understanding the consequence of marine neurotoxin exposure in aquatic organisms and humans. Nevertheless, recent contributions to the knowledge of neurotoxins arise from OMICS-based research, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the most recent research and of the available solutions to explore OMICS datasets in order to identify new features in terms of ecotoxicology, food safety, and human health. In addition, future perspectives in OMICS studies are discussed.

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 903
Author(s):  
Holly Kelchner ◽  
Katie E. Reeve-Arnold ◽  
Kathryn M. Schreiner ◽  
Sibel Bargu ◽  
Kim G. Roques ◽  
...  

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing globally in frequency, persistence, and geographic extent, posing a threat to ecosystem and human health. To date, no occurrences of marine phycotoxins have been recorded in Mozambique, which may be due to absence of a monitoring program and general awareness of potential threats. This study is the first documentation of neurotoxin, domoic acid (DA), produced by the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia along the east coast of Africa. Coastal Inhambane Province is a biodiversity hotspot where year-round Rhincodon typus (whale shark) sightings are among the highest globally and support an emerging ecotourism industry. Links between primary productivity and biodiversity in this area have not previously been considered or reported. During a pilot study, from January 2017 to April 2018, DA was identified year-round, peaking during Austral winter. During an intense study between May and August 2018, our research focused on identifying environmental factors influencing coastal productivity and DA concentration. Phytoplankton assemblage was diatom-dominated, with high abundances of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. Data suggest the system was influenced by nutrient pulses resulting from coastal upwelling. Continued and comprehensive monitoring along southern Mozambique would provide critical information to assess ecosystem and human health threats from marine toxins under challenges posed by global change.


Harmful Algae ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 101901
Author(s):  
Nick Young ◽  
Richard A. Sharpe ◽  
Rosa Barciela ◽  
Gordon Nichols ◽  
Keith Davidson ◽  
...  

2005 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Silvagni ◽  
L. J. Lowenstine ◽  
T. Spraker ◽  
T. P. Lipscomb ◽  
F. M. D. Gulland

Over 100 free-ranging adult California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus) and one Northern fur seal ( Callorhinus ursinus), predominantly adult females, were intoxicated by domoic acid (DA) during three harmful algal blooms between 1998 and 2000 in central and northern California coastal waters. The vector prey item was Northern anchovy ( Engraulis mordax) and the primary DA-producing algal diatom was Psuedonitzschia australis. Postmortem examination revealed gross and histologic findings that were distinctive and aided in diagnosis. A total of 109 sea lions were examined, dying between 1 day and 10 months after admission to a marine mammal rehabilitation center. Persistent seizures with obtundation were the main clinical findings. Frequent gross findings in animals dying acutely consisted of piriform lobe malacia, myocardial pallor, bronchopneumonia, and complications related to pregnancy. Gross findings in animals dying months after intoxication included bilateral hippocampal atrophy. Histologic observations implicated limbic system seizure injury consistent with excitotoxin exposure. Peracutely, there was microvesicular hydropic degeneration within the neuropil of the hippocampus, amygdala, pyriform lobe, and other limbic structures. Acutely, there was ischemic neuronal necrosis, particularly apparent in the granular cells of the dentate gyrus and the pyramidal cells within the hippocampus cornu ammonis (CA) sectors CA4, CA3, and CA1. Dentate granular cell necrosis has not been reported in human or experimental animal DA toxicity and may be unique to sea lions. Chronically, there was gliosis, mild nonsuppurative inflammation, and loss of laminar organization in affected areas.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian R. C. Kouakou ◽  
Thomas G. Poder

Abstract Harmful algal blooms (HABs) damage human activities and health. While there is wide literature on economic losses, little is known about the economic impact on human health. In this review, we systematically retrieved papers which presented health costs following exposure to HABs. A systematic review was conducted up to January 2019 in databases such as ScienceDirect and PubMed, and 16 studies were selected. Health costs included healthcare and medication expenses, loss of income due to illness, cost of pain and suffering, and cost of death. Two categories of illness (digestive and respiratory) were considered for health costs. For digestive illness cost, we found $86, $1,015 and $12,605, respectively, for mild, moderate and severe cases. For respiratory illness, costs were $86, $1,235 and $14,600, respectively, for mild, moderate and severe cases. We used Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) to access the loss of well-being due to illness caused by HABs. We found that breathing difficulty causes the most loss of QALYs, especially in children, with a loss of between 0.16 and 0.771 per child. Having gastroenteritis could cause a loss of between 2.2 and 7.1 QALYs per 1,000 children. Misleading symptoms of illness following exposure to HABs could cause bias in health costs estimations. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the generous support of a global network of libraries as part of the Knowledge Unlatched Select initiative.


2008 ◽  
Vol 7 (Suppl 2) ◽  
pp. S2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deana L Erdner ◽  
Julianne Dyble ◽  
Michael L Parsons ◽  
Richard C Stevens ◽  
Katherine A Hubbard ◽  
...  

EDIS ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge R. Rey

ENY-851, a 5-page illustrated factsheet by Jorge R. Rey, explains what these “harmful algal blooms” are, what causes them, their impacts on marine ecosystems, human health, and coastal economies, and strategies for mitigation and control. Includes references. Published by UF Entomology and Nematology Department, February 2008.


2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Loredana Stabili ◽  
Margherita Licciano ◽  
Adriana Giangrande ◽  
Carmela Caroppo

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are extreme biological events representing a major issue in marine, brackish, and freshwater systems worldwide. Their proliferation is certainly a problem from both ecological and socioeconomic contexts, as harmful algae can affect human health and activities, the marine ecosystem functioning, and the economy of coastal areas. Once HABs establish, valuable and environmentally friendly control actions are needed to reduce their negative impacts. In this study, the influence exerted by the filter-feeding activity of the two sabellid polychaetes Branchiomma luctuosum (Grube) and Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin) on a harmful dinoflagellate was investigated. Clearance rates (C) and retention efficiencies were estimated by employing the microalga Amphidinium carterae Hulburt. The Cmax was 1.15 ± 0.204 L h−1 g−1 DW for B. luctuosum and 0.936 ± 0.151 L h−1 g−1 DW for S. spallanzanii. The retention efficiency was 72% for B. luctuosum and 68% for S. spallanzanii. Maximum retention was recorded after 30 min for both species. The obtained results contribute to the knowledge of the two polychaetes’ filtration activity and to characterize the filtration process on harmful microalgae in light of the protection of water resources and human health. Both species, indeed, were extremely efficient in removing A. carterae from seawater, thus suggesting their employment as a new tool in mitigation technologies for the control of harmful algae in marine environments, as well as in the aquaculture facilities where HABs are one of the most critical threats.


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