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Toxicity of the cyanobacterium Limnothrix AC0243 to male Balb/c mice
journal contribution
posted on 2017-12-06, 00:00 authored by A Humpage, I Falconer, C Bernard, S Froscio, Larelle FabbroLarelle FabbroA growing list of freshwater cyanobacteria are known to produce toxic agents, a fact which makes these organisms of concern to water authorities. A cultured strain of Limnothrix (AC0243) was recently shown to have toxic effects in in vitro bioassays. It did not produce any of the known cyanobacterial toxins. The intrapertoneal toxicity of aqueous extracts of the material was therefore tested in mice to determine whether the observed effects might be of public health relevance to drinking water supplies. The results indicate that Limnothrix AC0243 is acutely toxic to mice, causing widespread cellular necrosis in the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract within 24 h of exposure. Sub-lethal effects lasted at least 7 d. These results suggest that Limnothrix AC0243 produces a novel toxin ("Limnothrixin") and that further work is therefore urgently required to quantify the potential public health implications.
Funding
Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)
History
Volume
46Start Page
1576End Page
1583Number of Pages
8ISSN
0043-1354Location
United KingdomPublisher
IWA PublishingPublisher DOI
Full Text URL
Language
en-ausPeer Reviewed
- Yes
Open Access
- No
Era Eligible
- Yes