Table 1

Cyanotoxins with public health significance from acute exposures

Toxin or toxin group
Classification by principal target organ systems
Toxin-producing genera
LD50(i.p. mouse)
References

Microcystins
Hepatotoxins
Anabaena, Anabaenopsis, Aphanocapsa, Arthrospira, Hapalosiphon, Microcystis, Nostoc, Oscillatoria, Planktothrix, Snowella, Woronichinia
25->1000 μg/kg
[10, 19, 26, 125-128]
Nodularins
Hepatotoxins
Nodularia
30–60 μg/kg
[8, 26, 129]
Anatoxin-a, homoanatoxin-a
Neurotoxins
Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Arthrospira, Cylindrospermum, Microcystis, Oscillatoria, Phormidium, Planktothrix, Raphidiopsis
200–375 μg/kg
[8, 10, 18, 26, 130-135]
Anatoxin-a(s)
Neurotoxin
Anabaena
20–40 μg/kg
[8, 26, 132]
Saxitoxins
Neurotoxins
Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Cylindrospermopsis, Lyngbya, Planktothrix
10–30 μg/kg
[26, 127, 132, 136-140]
Cylindrospermopsin
General cytotoxin (multiple organ systems affected, incl. liver, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, heart, spleen, thymus, skin)
Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Cylindrospermopsis, Raphidiopsis, Umezakia
2.1 mg/kg (24 hours) 200 μg/kg (5–6 days)
[8, 10, 17, 132, 141-145]
Aplysiatoxin, debromoaplysiatoxin
Dermal toxins; probable gastro-intestinal inflammatory toxin
Lyngbya
107–117 μg/kg
[146-152]
Lyngbyatoxin A
Possible gastro-intestinal inflammatory toxin
Lyngbya
250 μg/kg (?LD100)
[153]

Stewart et al. Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 2006 5:6   doi:10.1186/1476-069X-5-6