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Drobac Backović D, Tokodi N. Cyanotoxins in food: Exposure assessment and health impact. Food Res Int 2024; 184:114271. [PMID: 38609248 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The intricate nature of cyanotoxin exposure through food reveals a complex web of risks and uncertainties in our dietary choices. With the aim of starting to unravel this intricate nexus, a comprehensive review of 111 papers from the past two decades investigating cyanotoxin contamination in food was undertaken. It revealed a widespread occurrence of cyanotoxins in diverse food sources across 31 countries. Notably, 68% of the studies reported microcystin concentrations exceeding established Tolerable Daily Intake levels. Cyanotoxins were detected in muscles of many fish species, and while herbivorous fish exhibited the highest recorded concentration, omnivorous species displayed a higher propensity for cyanotoxin accumulation, exemplified by Oreochromis niloticus. Beyond fish, crustaceans and bivalves emerged as potent cyanotoxin accumulators. Gaps persist regarding contamination of terrestrial and exotic animals and their products, necessitating further exploration. Plant contamination under natural conditions remains underreported, yet evidence underscores irrigation-driven cyanotoxin accumulation, particularly affecting leafy vegetables. Finally, cyanobacterial-based food supplements often harbored cyanotoxins (57 % of samples were positive) warranting heightened scrutiny, especially for Aphanizomenon flos-aquae-based products. Uncertainties surround precise concentrations due to methodological variations (chemical and biochemical) and extraction limitations, along with the enigmatic fate of toxins during storage, processing, and digestion. Nonetheless, potential health consequences of cyanotoxin exposure via contaminated food include gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, organ damage (e.g. liver, kidneys, muscles), and even elevated cancer risks. While microcystins received significant attention, knowledge gaps persist regarding other cyanotoxins' accumulation, exposure, and effects, as well as combined exposure via multiple pathways. Intriguing and complex, cyanotoxin exposure through food beckons further research for our safer and healthier diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damjana Drobac Backović
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Nada Tokodi
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia; Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Metabolomics, Gronostajowa 7, Krakow 30387, Poland.
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Mutoti MI, Jideani AI, Madala NE, Gumbo JR. The occurrence and human health risk assessment of microcystins in diverse food matrixes during production. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29882. [PMID: 38681651 PMCID: PMC11053293 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Globally, the presence of cyanotoxins in water supplies and food has been widely investigated for over a decade. Cyanotoxins are harmful metabolites produced by toxic cyanobacterial genera. These metabolites belong to diverse chemical classes, with a variety of physicochemical properties, chemical structures, and toxic activities. The present study seeks to investigate the occurrence of cyanotoxins in water supplies destined for food processing and assess the human health risk from exposure to cyanotoxins. To achieve this, a simple, sensitive, and reliable analytical method was developed for the determination of microcystins (MC-RR, MC-LR, MC-YR) in process water, raw maize meal, and cooked maize (porridge) at ppb (parts per billion) levels. These compounds were extracted using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) with optimized parameters; thereafter, Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for the rapid determination of the analytes selected for the present study. The method developed was applied to samples collected from the meal grinding station located in Mawoni village in South Africa; and was able to detect and quantify all the target cyanotoxins. MC-LR, MC-YR and MC-RR were detected at concentrations ranging from 10 to 11.2 μg/L, 9.1-9.4 μg/L, and 2.3-3.5 μg/L, in water samples, respectively. However, MC-YR was not detected in ground water sample. Moreover, MC-LR, MC-YR, and MC-RR concentrations in maize and porridge samples ranged between 9.2 and 11.2, 5.5-8.6, and 6.3-9.3 μg/kg dry weight, respectively. The hazard quotient index (HQi) levels found in the present study ranged between 2.2 - 8.4 and 0.11-8.9 for adults and children, respectively, representing potential risks to human health. Findings from LC-MS/MS reveal that cyanotoxins can be transferred from water to food during food processing using cyanotoxins contaminated water. Furthermore, the methods developed can be used by environmental and health agencies to strengthen the monitoring of cyanotoxins in water and food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mulalo I. Mutoti
- Department of Environmental, Water, and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, 0083, South Africa
| | - Afam I.O. Jideani
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
| | - Ntakadzeni E. Madala
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
| | - Jabulani R. Gumbo
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa
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Muluye T, Fetahi T, Engdaw F, Mohammed A. Cyanotoxins in African waterbodies: occurrence, adverse effects, and potential risk to animal and human health. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:7519-7542. [PMID: 37603139 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01724-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Public concerns about cyanotoxins production in water and its detrimental impacts on human and animal health are growing primarily due to the widespread eutrophication observed in aquatic ecosystems. A review of relevant literature was done to determine the degree of cyanotoxin occurrence and its harmful effects in African waterbodies. Data were extracted from 64 published studies from 1990 to 2022 that quantified the concentration of cyanotoxins in African aquatic ecosystems. Cyanotoxins have been reported in 95 waterbodies (29 lakes, 41 reservoirs, 10 ponds, 9 rivers, 5 coastal waters, and 1 irrigation canal) from 15 African countries. Cyanotoxins were documented in all the regions of Africa except the central region. Microcystins have been reported in nearly all waterbodies (98.9%), but anatoxin-a (5.3%), cylindrospermopsin (2.1%), nodularins (2.1%), homoanatoxin-a (1.1%), and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (1.1%) were encountered in a small number of water ecosystems, homoanatoxin-a and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine each occurred in one waterbody. The largest concentrations of microcystins and nodularins were reported in South African Lakes Nhlanganzwani (49,410 μg L-1) and Zeekoevlei (347,000 μg g-1). Microcystin concentrations exceeding the WHO guideline for lifetime drinking water (1 μg L-1) were reported in 63% of the aquatic ecosystems surveyed. The most frequently reported toxin-producing cyanobacteria genus is Microcystis spp. (73.7%), followed by Oscillatoria spp. (35.8%) and Dolichospermum spp. (33.7%). Cyanotoxin-related animal mortality and human illness were reported in the continent. Consequently, it is necessary to regularly monitor the level of nutrients, cyanobacteria, and cyanotoxins in African waterbodies in an integrated manner to devise a sustainable water resources management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tesfaye Muluye
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Water Management, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Tadesse Fetahi
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Flipos Engdaw
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Water Management, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Adem Mohammed
- Africa Centre of Excellence for Water Management, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Redouane EM, Tazart Z, Lahrouni M, Mugani R, Elgadi S, Zine H, Zerrifi SEA, Haida M, Martins JC, Campos A, Oufdou K, Vasconcelos V, Oudra B. Health risk assessment of lake water contaminated with microcystins for fruit crop irrigation and farm animal drinking. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:80234-80244. [PMID: 37294489 PMCID: PMC10344998 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27914-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The health risks linked to the consumption of microcystin-accumulating crops have been increasing worldwide in toxic cyanobloom-occurring regions. The bioaccumulation of microcystins (MCs) in agricultural produce at environmentally realistic concentrations is poorly investigated. In this field study, we assessed the health risks of MCs in raw water used for irrigating fruit crops (bioaccumulation) and watering farm animals in the Lalla Takerkoust agricultural region (Marrakesh, Morocco). Thus, MCs were extracted from water and fruit samples and quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in order to calculate the health risk indicators. MCs posed a high health-risk level to poultry and horses, with estimated daily intakes (EDI) being 14- and 19-fold higher than the recommended limits (3.1 and 2.3 μg MC-LR L-1), respectively. Furthermore, pomegranate posed the same level of risk, with EDI being 22- and 53-fold higher than the limit dose (0.04 μg MC-LR kg-1) for adults and children, respectively. There was an urgent need for guidelines regarding water use and management in MC-polluted areas, besides the setup of nature-based tools for toxin removal from raw water used in farming practices. Moreover, MCs could contaminate the human food chain, which implies further investigations of their potential accumulation in livestock- and poultry-based food.
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Affiliation(s)
- El Mahdi Redouane
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Zakaria Tazart
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Majida Lahrouni
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Richard Mugani
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Sara Elgadi
- Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnologies, Agrosciences, and Environment (BioMAgE), Labeled Research Unit-CNRST N°4, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
- Laboratory of Agro. Food Technology and Quality, Regional Center for Agronomic Research of Marrakech, National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Hamza Zine
- Geology and Sustainable Mining Institute (GSMI), Mohammad VI Polytechnic University, 43150, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Soukaina El Amrani Zerrifi
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
- Higher Institute of Nurses Professions and Health Techniques of Guelmim, 81000, Guelmim, Morocco
| | - Mohammed Haida
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - José Carlos Martins
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Alexandre Campos
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Khalid Oufdou
- Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnologies, Agrosciences, and Environment (BioMAgE), Labeled Research Unit-CNRST N°4, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Vitor Vasconcelos
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Brahim Oudra
- Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
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