toxins
Editorial
The 6th Iberian and 2nd Ibero-American Cyanotoxin
Congress CIC2019
Marina Aboal
Laboratory of Algology, Plant Biology Department, Faculty of Biology, Murcia University, 30100 Murcia, Spain;
maboal@um.es
Citation: Aboal, M. The 6th Iberian
and 2nd Ibero-American Cyanotoxin
Congress CIC2019. Toxins 2021, 13,
162. https://doi.org/
10.3390/toxins13020162
Received: 13 January 2021
Accepted: 9 February 2021
Published: 19 February 2021
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According to genomic data, toxin cyanobacteria production is likely as old as the
group itself [1], and environmental and associated health problems could be tracked to
1000 years ago in China [2], Scotland lochs in the twelfth century [3], or in Poland in the
seventeenth century [4]. However, the worldwide toxicity events caused by cyanobacteria
are a contemporary issue that is becoming a real threat to the environment and the human
population.
From the very beginning, most research efforts have globally focused on studying
planktonic species due to sanitary implications [2], and also given the fact that they also
soon detected toxic benthic species causing cattle and pets fatalities [5,6], and afterwards
detected toxic mats with a high frequency [7–9].
First, the environmental and sanitary problems associated with cyanobacteria proliferations were detected in Northern and Central Europe, but similar situations were
rapidly described in South Europe. It was in this context that the researchers involved in
algae toxicological problems and water resources management decided to create a Spanish
Cyanotoxins Network to ease communication and collaboration between groups for the
sake of common methodologies, and to be ready to offer efficient answers to potential
problems. The network quickly grew with the incorporation of Portugal to become Iberian.
Then, periodic meetings were enriched by the presence of Ibero-American colleagues.
The meetings held every 2–3 years mirrored problems of the time and showed an
astonishing diversity in the developed issues, of which volume 34 of Limnetica (2015), and
9 of Toxins (2017), are good examples of the heterogeneity of contributions. The last venue
(Murcia, SE Spain) welcomed researchers from three continents and eight countries, who
presented papers that focused on fairly different aspects, ranging from tele-detection to the
identification of infrequently reported toxins, as well as the quantification of beneficial and
harmful molecules.
The scientific production related to cyanotoxins in countries like Portugal has been
enormous in recent years. Moreira et al. [10] presented an update of the current situation
by focusing on the recent increase in both toxin events and the number of detected toxic
compounds, and the importance of the methodologies followed.
Some fairly rare toxins may abound locally and may represent important hazards that
affect people, animals, and even crops. Anabaenopeptins (A, B, C, and F) and Oscilamide Y
were detected at unusually high concentrations in a reservoir system in NE Spain [11] and
[D-Leu1 ]MC-LR is more frequent than MC-LR in some South American countries [12]. The
detection of some of these compounds may pose a challenge, and Flores and Caixach [11]
recommend taking a suspect screening approach based on High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) for the cyanobacterial peptides that are not often monitored by target
strategies. [D-Leu1] MC-LR is frequently reported in water bodies throughout America
and shows clear toxic potency differences with MC-LR, with greater phosphatase activity
inhibition in both animal and plant models. The effects on plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) can be
observed from germination at fairly low concentrations [12,13]. This may be a warning for
not only managers to be aware of most minority compounds that challenge the accuracy of
Toxins 2021, 13, 162. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13020162
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methods, but also for researchers to study the potential toxic effects of Anabaenopeptins
and Oscilamide, among others.
Besides the large volume of publications on the subject, we still do not know the
factors that trigger cyanobacteria toxicity and we are still likely far from understanding
(and preventing) toxic events than knowing the parameters that promote cyanobacteria
blooming. Very early observations showed the influence of cyanotoxin production on the
diversity of aquatic communities, at least in calcareous rivers [14,15], but almost nothing
has been done on this subject since then.
Some cyanobacteria (Spirulina/Arthrospira) have been, and are presently, important
sources of proteins for an increasing proportion of people, and have been proposed as an
alternative source of proteins in developing countries to fight against malnutrition [16].
However, the presence of microcystins has been previously reported and is confirmed in
the food supplements containing them [17] at concentrations below the level of quantification. The presence of microcystins and anatoxin has been detected in a wide variety of
habitats [9], but almost always at very low concentrations.
Cyanobacteria are not the only consumed microalgae as Chlorella and other green
algae can be obtained everywhere. However, a large body of knowledge has accumulated about the toxicity of some commercial microalgae products [18], especially those
collected directly from nature. In these supplements, high levels of heavy metals and
other potentially harmful compounds have also been detected [18]. Adult populations are
probably safe because limits are not usually exceeded, but it is not the same with children,
as recommended intakes are not normally indicated, and children are the most fragile part
of our population, especially when daily intake is recommended. Much better control
should be applied to the labeling of these products to always indicate not only the origin of
cultures or collections, but also production and preservation methods, and a toxicological
analysis, which should be compulsory as it is in other foods.
Methodological advances are a crucial part of cyanotoxins research. It is very important to permanently continue to search for the most accurate, inexpensive, and quickest
way to identify and quantify the increasing number of cyanotoxins in both continental and
marine environments [17].
The most fascinating characteristic of cyanobacteria is probably their capacity to
produce not only a vast number of harmful compounds, but also high concentrations of
antioxidants, cytoprotectors, pigments, and other biotechnologically interesting chemicals [19]. The biochemistry of these organisms remains quite unknown, but several new
potentially useful molecules have been recently identified and named [20], and the list of
beneficial activities continues to grow [21].
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