Click
here to close Hello! We notice that
you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Echinobase
and may cause the site to display incorrectly. We suggest using a
current version of Chrome,
FireFox,
or Safari.
Mar Drugs
2010 Mar 05;83:471-82. doi: 10.3390/md803471.
Show Gene links
Show Anatomy links
Primary screening of the bioactivity of brackishwater cyanobacteria: toxicity of crude extracts to Artemia salina larvae and Paracentrotus lividus embryos.
Lopes VR
,
Fernández N
,
Martins RF
,
Vasconcelos V
.
???displayArticle.abstract???
Cyanobacteria are a diverse group of Gram-negative bacteria that produce an array of secondary compounds with selective bioactivity against vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, microalgae, fungi, bacteria, viruses and cell lines. The aim of this study was to assess the toxic effects of aqueous, methanolic and hexane crude extracts of benthic and picoplanktonic cyanobacteria isolated from estuarine environments, towards the nauplii of the brine shrimp Artemia salina and embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The A. salina lethality test was used as a frontline screen and then complemented by the more specific sea urchin embryo-larval assay. Eighteen cyanobacterial isolates, belonging to the genera Cyanobium, Leptolyngbya, Microcoleus, Phormidium, Nodularia, Nostoc and Synechocystis, were tested. Aqueous extracts of cyanobacteria strains showed potent toxicity against A. salina, whereas in P. lividus, methanolic and aqueous extracts showed embryo toxicity, with clear effects on development during early stages. The results suggest that the brackishwater cyanobacteria are producers of bioactive compounds with toxicological effects that may interfere with the dynamics of invertebrate populations.
Figure 1. Effects of estuarine cyanobacterial extracts on embryonic development of sea urchin P. lividus after 48 h of exposure (a) Normal pluteus larva from the control treatment. (b) Abnormal four arms larva (with equal sized arms and shorter larval length). (c) Abnormal larva with only one-arm developed after exposure to cyanobacterial extracts. The bar represents 100 μm.
Figure 2. Mean values of length of normal P. lividus larvae (±SE) incubated on aqueous cyanobacterial extracts (A) and methanolic extracts (B), and on sea water as control. Asterisks indicate significant differences (** P ≤ 0.05) between extract and control.
Figure 3. Comparison of the mean values of length of normally developed P. lividus larvae (±SE) incubated on cyanobacterial methanolic extracts and on sea water control to a concentration of 1.6 mg mL−1. Asterisks indicate significant differences (** P ≤ 0.05) between extract and control.
Figure 4. Geographic position of the sampling sites–Star symbols point out the sites: M-Minho estuary; D-Douro estuary and V-Vouga estuary.
Caldwell,
The use of a brine shrimp (Artemia salina) bioassay to assess the toxicity of diatom extracts and short chain aldehydes.
2003, Pubmed
Caldwell,
The use of a brine shrimp (Artemia salina) bioassay to assess the toxicity of diatom extracts and short chain aldehydes.
2003,
Pubmed
Carballo,
A comparison between two brine shrimp assays to detect in vitro cytotoxicity in marine natural products.
2002,
Pubmed
,
Echinobase
Ehrenreich,
Distribution and diversity of natural product genes in marine and freshwater cyanobacterial cultures and genomes.
2005,
Pubmed
Fernández,
Combined toxicity of dissolved mercury with copper, lead and cadmium on embryogenesis and early larval growth of the Paracentrotus lividus sea-urchin.
2001,
Pubmed
,
Echinobase
Jaiswal,
Cyanobacterial bioactive molecules--an overview of their toxic properties.
2008,
Pubmed
Jungblut,
Molecular identification and evolution of the cyclic peptide hepatotoxins, microcystin and nodularin, synthetase genes in three orders of cyanobacteria.
2006,
Pubmed
Martins,
Toxicity assessment of crude and partially purified extracts of marine Synechocystis and Synechococcus cyanobacterial strains in marine invertebrates.
2007,
Pubmed
,
Echinobase
Mundt,
Biochemical and pharmacological investigations of selected cyanobacteria.
2001,
Pubmed
Neilan,
rRNA sequences and evolutionary relationships among toxic and nontoxic cyanobacteria of the genus Microcystis.
1997,
Pubmed
Nunes,
Use of the genus Artemia in ecotoxicity testing.
2006,
Pubmed
Rippka,
Isolation and purification of cyanobacteria.
1988,
Pubmed
Roberts,
The Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 Sfp-type phosphopantetheinyl transferase does not possess characteristic broad-range activity.
2009,
Pubmed
Singh,
Bioactive compounds from cyanobacteria and microalgae: an overview.
2005,
Pubmed
Sleet,
Brine shrimp, Artemia salina: a potential screening organism for initial teratology screening.
1983,
Pubmed
Sugni,
Endocrine disrupting compounds and echinoderms: new ecotoxicological sentinels for the marine ecosystem.
2007,
Pubmed
,
Echinobase
Sánchez-Fortún,
Acute toxicity of several organophosphorous insecticides and protection by cholinergic antagonists and 2-PAM on Artemia salina larvae.
1996,
Pubmed
Vanhaecke,
Proposal for a short-term toxicity test with Artemia nauplii.
1981,
Pubmed
Wiegand,
Ecotoxicological effects of selected cyanobacterial secondary metabolites: a short review.
2005,
Pubmed
da Rocha,
Natural products in anticancer therapy.
2001,
Pubmed
