The accumulation of saxitoxins (STXs) in fish from freshwater aquaculture was investigated for the first time in the present study. Cyanotoxins have been monitored in liver and muscle samples of Oreochromis niloticus by chromatographic methods, both before and after the depuration process. The results show that tilapia can accumulate STXs. Our findings suggest that depuration with clean water is an alternative process to eliminate STXs from fish and, therefore, improve the safety of tilapia for consumers.
It is reported for the first time in Brazil and South America the presence of cylindrospermopsin (CYN) in water supply reservoirs. CYN is a powerful hepatotoxic alkaloid implicated in outbreaks of human sicknesses. We detected CYN in different sources of water in Northeastern Brazil using molecular and immunological techniques. The highest concentrations of toxin occurred in the Jucazinho reservoir with the phytoplankton containing the potentially CYN-producing Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides (previously known as Aphanizomenon aphanizomenoides). The polyketide synthase (PKS) and peptide synthetase (PS), which are directly related to the ability to produce CYN, were found in all the analyzed samples. The result of the present study emphasizes the need to improve monitoring of CYN in water bodies used for drinking and recreation, in order to avoid exposure of human populations to this toxin.
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