Effects of Marine Toxins on the Reproduction and Early Stages Development of Aquatic Organisms

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

Vitor Vasconcelos (Author) FCUP; Joana Azevedo (Author) Other; Marisa Silva (Author) Other; Vitor Ramos (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Marine Drugs

Vol. 8

Pages: 59-79

ISSN: 1660-3397

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 61 Citations

Scopus - 68 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-BX1

DOI: 10.3390/md8010059

Abstract (EN): Marine organisms, and specially phytoplankton species, are able to produce a diverse array of toxic compounds that are not yet fully understood in terms of their main targets and biological function. Toxins such as saxitoxins, tetrodotoxin, palytoxin, nodularin, okadaic acid, domoic acid, may be produced in large amounts by dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria, bacteria and diatoms and accumulate in vectors that transfer the toxin along food chains. These may affect top predator organisms, including human populations, leading in some cases to death. Nevertheless, these toxins may also affect the reproduction of aquatic organisms that may be in contact with the toxins, either by decreasing the amount or quality of gametes or by affecting embryonic development. Adults of some species may be insensitive to toxins but early stages are more prone to intoxication because they lack effective enzymatic systems to detoxify the toxins and are more exposed to the toxins due to a higher metabolic growth rate. In this paper we review the current knowledge on the effects of some of the most common marine toxins on the reproduction and development of early stages of some organisms.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 21