Modern methods for detection and elimination of microcystins toxins produced by cyanobacteria: Mini-review

Abstract

Microcystins are hepatotoxins produced by some cyanobacterial taxa that usually form surface blooms on water bodies world-wide. These toxins can critically influence the public health since they can cause fatal liver damage. Water treatment by lysis of toxic cyanobacterial blooms would release toxin into water and exacerbate the problem of water pollution with those toxins. Therefore, an active wise policy to face this problem is needed. In that regard, there must be a comprehensive understanding of the toxins' mechanism of action, chemical structure, biosynthetic genes, factors affecting toxin genes expression and ways of detection and elimination. Also the use of modern rapid techniques to differentiate between toxic and non-toxic strains of cyanobacteria is required. The present minireview discusses the use of advanced analyses that comprise chemical, biological, molecular and nano-techniques for the detection and removal of microcystins. The full understanding of this phenomenon would pave the way for constructing a strategy for toxic cyanobacterial bloom control and elimination of toxin from drinking water. © 2010 Asian Network for Scientific Information.