Effects of saxitoxins exposure on oligodendrocyte development in mouse neonates

Current Trends and New Challenges in Marine Phycotoxins

Marine phycotoxins are a multiplicity of bioactive compounds which are produced by microalgae and bioaccumulate in the marine food web. Phycotoxins affect the ecosystem, pose a threat to human health, and have important economic effects on aquaculture and tourism worldwide. However, human health and food safety have been the primary concerns when considering the impacts of phycotoxins. Phycotoxins toxicity information, often used to set regulatory limits for these toxins in shellfish, lacks traceability of toxicity values highlighting the need for predefined toxicological criteria. Toxicity data together with adequate detection methods for monitoring procedures are crucial to protect human health. However, despite technological advances, there are still methodological uncertainties and high demand for universal phycotoxin detectors. This review focuses on these topics, including uncertainties of climate change, providing an overview of the current information as well as future perspectives.

Cyanobacteria as Valuable Tool in Biotechnology

Cyanobacteria constitute an interesting group of photosynthetic microorganisms due to their morphological and genetic diversity that is related to their extremely long evolution process, which created the need for them to adapt to immensely heterogeneous environmental conditions. Cyanobacteria grow in salt and fresh waters as well as on the surface of soils and rocks. The diverse cell structure is characterized by the fact that they occur in many morphological forms, from small single cells through to larger ones as well as branches, threads, or spirals. Taking into account the presence of cyanobacteria in virtually all possible conditions and places on Earth, cyanobacteria represent an unexplored potential that is worth investigating. This review presents the possibilities of using algae in chosen areas of biotechnology: e.g., as biocatalysts or in industries such as the pharmaceutical industry. It covers the characteristics of secondary metabolites along with their division and the potential of using them as sources of effective drugs for many diseases. It presents an overview of the possibilities of using cyanobacteria in biotransformation processes. These processes are of great importance in the case of, for example, the neutralization of municipal, industrial, or chemical waste, the amount of which is constantly growing every year, and they are also an easier and cheaper path to obtain chemical compounds.

Cyanobacteria, Cyanotoxins, and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Dangerous Liaisons

The prevalence of neurodegenerative disease (ND) is increasing, partly owing to extensions in lifespan, with a larger percentage of members living to an older age, but the ND aetiology and pathogenesis are not fully understood, and effective treatments are still lacking. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are generally thought to progress as a consequence of genetic susceptibility and environmental influences. Up to now, several environmental triggers have been associated with NDs, and recent studies suggest that some cyanotoxins, produced by cyanobacteria and acting through a variety of molecular mechanisms, are highly neurotoxic, although their roles in neuropathy and particularly in NDs are still controversial. In this review, we summarize the most relevant and recent evidence that points at cyanotoxins as environmental triggers in NDs development.