Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to their potency. Most studies examine the relationship between individual toxin variants and environmental factors, such as nutrients, temperature and light. In summer 2015, we collected samples across Europe to investigate the effect of nutrient and temperature gradients on the variability of toxin production at a continental scale. Direct and indirect effects of temperature were the main drivers of the spatial distribution in the toxins produced by the cyanobacterial community, the toxin concentrations and toxin quota. Generalized linear models showed that a Toxin Diversity Index (TDI) increased with latitude, while it decreased with water stability. Increases in TDI were explained through a significant increase in toxin variants such as MC-YR, anatoxin and cylindrospermopsin, accompanied by a decreasing presence of MC-LR. While global warming continues, the direct and indirect effects of increased lake temperatures will drive changes in the distribution of cyanobacterial toxins in Europe, potentially promoting selection of a few highly toxic species or strains.

Inula species are medicinal and aromatic plants used for folk medicine extensively. In this work, hydrodistilled essential oil of Inula graveolens (Linnaeus) Desf. analyzed by GC-MS which revealed that bornyl acetate was the major product (69.15%). Camphene was the second major compound (11.11%). Antiproliferative activity of the essential oil and bornyl acetate was investigated on HeLa (human cervix carcinoma), HT29 (human colon carcinoma), A549 (human lung carcinoma), MCF7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) cancer cells and FL (human amnion cells) normal cells. The cytotoxicity was executed by a Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Cytotoxicity Detection Kit. Essential oil and bornyl acetate displayed the outstanding activities on HeLa (IC 50 , 64.1, 72.0 µg/mL), HT29 (IC 50 , 24.6, 60.5 µg/mL), A549 (IC 50 , 28.3,44.1 µg/mL), MCF-7 (IC 50 , 66.5, 85.6 µg/mL), and FL (IC 50 , 42.1, 50.6 µg/mL) cell lines respectively.

Under ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity, which continuously challenge ecosystem resilience, an in-depth understanding of ecological processes is urgently needed. Lakes, as providers of numerous ecosystem services, face multiple stressors that threaten their functioning. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms are a persistent problem resulting from nutrient pollution and climate-change induced stressors, like poor transparency, increased water temperature and enhanced stratification. Consistency in data collection and analysis methods is necessary to achieve fully comparable datasets and for statistical validity, avoiding issues linked to disparate data sources. The European Multi Lake Survey (EMLS) in summer 2015 was an initiative among scientists from 27 countries to collect and analyse lake physical, chemical and biological variables in a fully standardized manner. This database includes in-situ lake variables along with nutrient, pigment and cyanotoxin data of 369 lakes in Europe, which were centrally analysed in dedicated laboratories. Publishing the EMLS methods and dataset might inspire similar initiatives to study across large geographic areas that will contribute to better understanding lake responses in a changing environment.

Purpose: To determine the fatty acid constituents and anticancer effect of Cladohora fracta Methods: Cladophora fracta (O.F. Müller ex Vahl) Kützing was collected from natural ponds in Tokat, Turkey. Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of methanol and hexane extracts of C. fracta were investigated on human colon carcinoma (HT29) and non-tumorigenic African green monkey kidney (Vero) cell lines using BrdU cell proliferation enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test, respectively. The fatty acid composition of hexane extract was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: Oleic acid, palmitic acid, gamma-linoleic acid and linoleic acid were the main constituents of C. fracta. The methanol extract exhibited strong antiproliferative activity on HT29 and Vero cell lines (p < 0.05). The hexane extract revealed its good antiproliferative activity at high concentrations on both cell lines. Cytotoxicity results showed that both methanol and hexane extract had low effect on HT29 cell at low concentrations. Conclusion: Due to the strong antiproliferative effect of C. fracta methanol extract on HT29 and Vero cell lines, it has potential anticancer properties and recommended for further development as such.

Collected blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) from freshwater sites throughout Tokat province and its outlying areas were isolated in laboratory environment and their morphological systematics were determined and also their species identifications were studied by molecular methods. Seven different species of blue-green algae collected from seven different sites were isolated by purifying in cultures in laboratory environment. DNA extractions were made from isolated cells and extracted DNAs were amplified by using PCR. Cyanobacteria specific primers were used to amplify 16S rRNA and phycocyanine gene regions using PCR. Phylogenetic identification of species were conducted by evaluation of obtained sequence analysis data by using computer software. According to species identification by sequence analysis, it was seen that molecular data supports morphological systematics.