Isolation, characterization and quantification of microcystins (heptapeptides hepatotoxins) in Microcytis aeruginosa dominated bloom of Lalla Takerkoust lake-reservoir (Morocco)

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2001

Authors

Oudra, B (Author) Other; Loudiki, M (Author) Other; Sbiyyaa, B (Author) Other; Martins, R (Author) Other; Vasconcelos, V (Author) FCUP; Namikoshi, N (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Toxicon

Vol. 39

Pages: 1375-1381

ISSN: 0041-0101

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 95 Citations

Scopus - 102 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Basic medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-TH3

DOI: 10.1016/s0041-0101(01)00093-9

Abstract (EN): This paper presents the first data on the identification, characterization and quantification of microcystins isolated from both an extract of a cyanobacteria natural bloom, collected from a eutrophic Moroccan reservoir (Lalla Takerkoust, Marrakesh) and an isolated strain cultivated under laboratory conditions. The isolation and purification of toxins was performed by reverse phase HPLC and then characterized by amino acid analysis and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS). Chemical characterization of the toxins from the bloom revealed variants of microcystins such as Mcyst-LR, Mcyst-RR, Mcyst-YR and [D-Asp(3)]Mcyst-LR. However, the Microcystis aeruginosa strain produced only Mcyst-RR. Using an ELISA assay the total microcystin contents of eight bloom samples collected from 1994 to 1997 ranged from 0.7 to 8.8 mug/mg of lyophilized material. The two isolated Microcystis strains contained higher amounts of microcystins (0.65 mug/mg of dry weight) than the Pseudanabaena strains (0.021 mug/mg of dry weight). Our results show that the presence of cyanobacteria toxins in water used for drinking in a North African country may be regarded as an health hazard. These results are a contribution to the knowledge of the biogeography of toxic cyanobacteria and their toxins, namely in north African countries.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7